# Wawrinka bids farewell to tennis in Basel against Lehecka

- URL: https://apitofinal.pt/en/modalidades-en/tenis-en/wawrinka-bids-farewell-to-tennis-in-basel-against-lehecka/
- Published: 2026-10-28T16:33:13+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T16:37:12+00:00
- Publisher: Apito Final (apitofinal.pt)
- Section: Ténis
- Tags: Grand Slam, Jiri Lehecka, masters 1000 de montecarlo, Stan Wawrinka

## Key points

- Stan Wawrinka disse adeus ao ténis em Basileia, após um encontro com Jiri Lehecka, saindo sob aplausos da multidão.
- Aos 41 anos, o suíço termina uma carreira com três títulos do Grand Slam e vitórias em Monte Carlo e nos torneios 500 de Dubai, Roterdão e Tóquio.
- Wawrinka afirmou sentir sentimentos mistos: felicidade pela época vivida, mas tristeza por não poder reviver aquelas emoções.

## Article

Stan Wawrinka bid farewell to tennis in Basel after a match against Jiri Lehecka, leaving the court to loud applause from the crowd. At 41, the Swiss player ends a career that brought three Grand Slam titles.

He also won the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 and the 500 events in Dubai, Rotterdam and Tokyo. His one-handed backhand has won over millions of fans down the years.

## Wawrinka speaks of mixed feelings

At a press conference, an emotional Wawrinka shared how he felt about the end of his career. “Honestly, I am very happy. I am truly happy to have experienced what I went through this past season. Of course, the feelings are mixed; I also feel sadness, because I know I will not be able to relive emotions like these,” he said.

Acknowledging the challenges he faced because of injuries, he admitted that he could no longer play at the level he wanted, especially at home in Switzerland.

The Swiss champion revealed that, despite knowing an important chapter of his life was coming to an end, he savoured every moment. “In recent years, I have drained my energy: my body cannot always keep up as I would like, and the same goes for my mind,” he said.

Wawrinka stressed that he had always dreamed of ending his career on his own terms, something he managed this season. “It was an exceptional season, full of emotion. Every tournament where I said goodbye was tinged with sadness, but everything was much more beautiful than I could have imagined,” he added.

## “A dream ending” in Switzerland

Wawrinka expressed his gratitude for the support he received in this final stage of his career. “In this last year, at 41, I felt competitive. I played against the best, faced young talents, played great matches and even won a few. For me, this is an ideal ending, a dream ending,” he said, underlining the importance of finishing his career in Switzerland, surrounded by fans who have always supported him.

He had predicted there would be tears at the farewell, not out of celebration, but from the sadness of a chapter closing. “As an athlete, you know this day comes, and when you love what you do, you want to take your limits as far as possible. It is a real privilege to have felt the emotions I experienced today,” he concluded.

Earlier, the Swiss had already [said goodbye to the US Open](https://apitofinal.pt/modalidades/tenis/stan-wawrinka-despede-se-do-us-open-no-ultimo-grande-slam-da-carreira/), the last Grand Slam of his career.