Stan Wawrinka played his final match at Wimbledon on Tuesday after losing a tense four-hour tussle with Matteo Berrettini.
Throughout the marathon encounter, there were just two breaks of serve (one for each player) as Wawrinka fell 6-7(7), 7-6(16), 7-6(7), 7-6(5). Both players won more than 70% of their service points and produced a total of 110 winners between them. The highly competitive encounter was perhaps the best way for the Swiss to end his career at the tournament.
“He’s a legend and he showed it today,” Berrettini said in tribute to Wawrinka. “Unbelievable player, unbelievable competitor. I remember in 2014, I was playing the juniors here and I snuck into Centre Court, he was playing against Roger [Federer]. It was a big honour to play against him here, on Court 1. I feel so honoured, so grateful.”
Whilst Wimbledon is his worst-performing Grand Slam in terms of matches won, Wawrinka reached the quarter-finals twice in 2014 and 2015 out of 19 appearances with an overall win-loss record of 23-19. The exit is the latest leg of the 41-year-old’s farewell Tour. He is the oldest player to compete in a Grand Slam main draw since Ivo Karlovic at the 2021 US Open.
Wawrinka’s return to SW19 was the first time he had played on grass since 2024. 12 months ago, he wasn’t ranked high enough to gain entry into the tournament and opted to have an extended period on the clay instead.
“It’s always special as a player,” the former world No.3 said of playing at Wimbledon. “I think you’re always going to feel different here when you arrive. I think the history of the game, the history of tennis, is really unique here.
“As much as it is always nice to watch on TV when you’re younger, the first time you come here, the emotion you get just by walking around is really special. And more than 20 years later, I still have the same feeling when I come back.”
Wawrinka has won 16 titles during his career, of which three were at Grand Slams. Making him one of the few players to have ever won multiple majors during the Big Three Era. However, he could never complete his collection at The All England Club, which his fellow countryman, Roger Federer, has won a record eight times.
“The grass was always a bit more challenging for me, for my game, and also the way I gain my confidence,” he explains.
“But in the end, I did the maximum I could, the same as the other Grand Slams. I think making the quarterfinals was a great result for me, and I’m happy with what I have achieved here in Wimbledon.
There are still a few more months to go before Wawrinka enters retirement following a career of more than 20 years on the Tour. As for his post-retirement, he has ‘many different plans’ but isn’t ready to share them publicly yet.
“I just want to close the chapter, close the book, chill a bit, enjoy a bit being home, enjoy being with my family, with my friends, take some easy time before thinking about what’s next,” Wawrinka concluded.
