Stan Wawrinka was honoured with an hour-long tribute on Centre Court at the Swiss Indoors in Basel on Monday, with his family in attendance and video messages from Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and John McEnroe. The 41-year-old begins his final tournament on Tuesday against Jiřà Lehecka.
Basel, Switzerland: Tennis does not always get to write its farewells. On Monday evening in the St. Jakobshalle, it did. Before a ball had been struck in what is billed as his last event, Stan Wawrinka walked out to a standing ovation and spent more than an hour being thanked for a career that brought him three Grand Slam titles.
An evening built for one player
The Swiss Indoors had promised an emotional tribute full of memories and surprises on Super Monday, scheduled for 6pm, and the evening delivered. A painter created a portrait of Wawrinka as the ceremony unfolded, and his friend, the Lausanne singer-songwriter Bastian Baker, performed on Centre Court. Sven Epiney of Swiss broadcaster SRF hosted, and Wawrinka’s family watched on.
Tournament chief Roger Brennwald praised Wawrinka’s endurance, courage, fair play and respect for opponents. Video messages arrived from Federer, Djokovic, Murray and McEnroe, as well as Martina Navratilova, and Wawrinka’s parents sent an emotional message of their own. Wawrinka has been described as the first participant in the tournament’s history to be honoured in such a way.
A record that tells its own story
Wawrinka said it was difficult to say goodbye to a sport he loves so much. He added that he had always tried to give his best but had never dared to dream of winning Grand Slams. Basel never gave him a title. He reached two semi-finals, in 2006 and 2011, and four more quarter-finals, finishing with a 17-17 record at the event according to the ATP.
The farewell has been building for weeks. Wawrinka reached Basel after extending his run in Lyon with a first-round win over MartÃn Landaluce, converting his fifth match point.
One more match to play
The tribute was the prelude. Wawrinka, a former world No. 3 with 16 tour-level titles, opens against eighth seed Lehecka on Tuesday at 8pm local time, in their first career meeting. The ATP 500 event is in its 55th edition and runs until 1 November. Ben Shelton is the top seed and opens against Casper Ruud, while Djokovic is also in the draw, back in Basel for the first time since 2011, when he won the title, and opens against Ugo Humbert.
The Swiss Indoors had billed the week as Wawrinka’s farewell, and the draw gives him a real match to play. Whatever happens on Tuesday night, the tribute is already complete.
