Wawrinka retires after 390 tour-level events with 590 wins and 395 losses, 985 matches in all, including Grand Slams and Davis Cups. The former world No. 3 has won 16 titles, including three Grand Slams: the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 Roland Garros and the 2016 US Open. He also won Olympic gold with Roger Federer in Beijing in 2008 and helped Switzerland lift the Davis Cup in 2014.
The player Djokovic considered one of the most underrated ever had his chance in the opening set. In the sixth game, Wawrinka earned two break points on Lehecka’s serve, but the Czech saved both and held. At 5-5, the Swiss trailed 0-40 and was broken, and the Polish served out the set to love.
Wawrinka continued to fight. In the opening game of the second set, he saved two break points and didn’t face another, holding at 6-6 all the way. In the tie-break, Lehetska won the last five points with a score of 2-2 and made his first match point.
A tough 2026 season
Wawrinka, playing on a wild card, was treated to an emotional ceremony of the tournament on Monday. It was his 19th main draw appearance in Basel, equaling Federer’s tournament record. He first played a major in 2003 and reached the semifinals in 2006 and 2011, and he finished with a 17-18 record at home.
His final season got off to a good start with a run to the third round of the Australian Open, before his clay swing struggled from start to finish. Since the beginning of March, he had won only two matches on the ATP Tour. Just before Roland Garros in Geneva, and last week in Lyon against world number 67 Martin Landalus.
The Lyon win was his 12th at tour level since turning 40, the most by any player since the creation of the ATP Tour in 1990, ahead of Ivo Karlovic (9) and Jimmy Connors (8). At 41 years and six months, it also made Wawrinka the fourth-oldest player to win on the ATP Tour during that period.
The Pole, ranked 21st, took his first win in Basel at the third attempt. The 24-year-old lost in the first round to Pedro Martinez in 2024 and Bottic van de Zandshulp in 2025, both times 6-2, 6-2.
Basel ATP 500? 1st stage
B. Shelton (1) d. A. Kovacevich (LL): 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-6(4)
J. Kym (WC) d. A. Rinderknech: 7-6(1), 6-4
D. Altmaier (LL) d. JM Cerundolo (Q) 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4
J. Lehecka (8) d. S. Wawrinka (WC): 7-6(2), 7-5
N. Djokovic 4: vs. U. Humbert – did not play
Y. Hanfmann (Q) vs JL Struff (SE) – did not play
N. Borges d. M. Brunold (LL): 6-3, 6-1
C. Ruud (9) d. D. Stricker (WC): 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
H. Hurkacz (10) d. Z. Bergs: 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
H. Runa d. K. Halis: 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-4
V. Vacherot d. M. Navone: 7-6(4), 6-3
R. Jodar (3) d. A Tabillo: 6-4, 6-2
T. Fritz (6) vs R. Hijikata (LL) – did not play
R. Bertola (K) vs D. Shapovalov – did not play
A. Michelsen d. B. van de Zandschulp: 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
A. Phils (2) d. G. Mpetshi Perricard (Q) 7-6(5), 7-5