Emotional Wawrinka Bids Farewell to Clay in Estoril

Stan Wawrinka’s greatest moments came on clay, and on Tuesday the legendary Swiss played his final match on the surface. The 41-year-old battled to the brink against Argentina’s Roman Burruchaga before falling 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 29 minutes.

The 118th-ranked Wawrinka fought valiantly, even saving three match points in the final game before finally bowing out to the 60th-ranked Buenos Aires native.

“Playing against Stan is a pleasure for me. I grew up watching him, so playing against him was a dream come true for me – all the best for him,” Burruchaga said.

Wawrinka, the 2015 Roland Garros champion, finishes his clay-court career with a 202-124 record. He captured seven titles on the surface and posted a .620 winning percentage—better than his current .608 mark on hard courts.

He also earned 21 Top 10 wins on clay, including two against world No.1s: Novak Djokovic in the 2015 Roland Garros final and Andy Murray in the 2017 Roland Garros semifinals.

Making his first appearance in Estoril since winning the title in 2013, Wawrinka was presented with a framed imprint of his footprint in the Estoril clay—a thoughtful tribute from the tournament. An emotional Wawrinka embraced tournament director João Stilwell Zilhão after receiving the gift.

“I grew up on clay. I grew up practicing on clay, watching clay-court tournaments. It was always special for me,” Wawrinka said.

After the match, Wawrinka stayed to sign autographs for fans.

“I won the title here in 2013. It was a special title for me, the beginning of my best level, I think,” Wawrinka told the crowd. “I was super happy to have this opportunity to come back one last time. I couldn’t deliver the win today, but I had so much support again. Thank you. I really appreciate all your support.”

As he left the court, Wawrinka walked through a tunnel formed by the ball kids, exchanging high-fives with them as the three-time major champion made his final exit.