The finger-to-temple intensity. The effort he gave. The courage and venom with which he played – more than good enough to take down the best of his generation. The heart and soul he poured into his physical game, making his opponents – and fans – feel every bit of it. The steadfast commitment to excellence, to maximizing his talents.
Even at 41 years of age, it never wavered. None of it.
Though he struggled to find wins and maintain a high ranking over the last few years, Stan Wawrinka’s farewell tour was a lot like his career. A slow burn, a series of sparks that could combust into a full-fledged, out-of-control fire at any time.
Today there was barely a dry eye at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel as Wawrinka played his final match, 23 years after his tournament debut.
Wawrinka went out on his own terms, putting blood, sweat and tears into his last match, fighting like mad to see where his desire could take him. “One of the purest ball-strikers that the game has ever seen,” said Alex de Minaur in the tribute video that played after the match on Tennis TV. Anyone who bore witness to Wawrinka in his prime would find it difficult to disagree.
“He has absolutely bled himself dry for the sport,” said commentator Robbie Koenig, who called Wawrinka’s 7-5, 7-6(2) loss to Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday evening in Basel.
Truer words have not been uttered.
After two and a half decades, the curtain finally closes on the three-time major champion who amassed 16 ATP titles and 590 ATP match wins.
The major titles, which each featured a win over the reigning world No.1 in the final, were the most remarkable. How the swashbuckling Swiss captured the imagination of the tennis world and took down the Big 3 with bold and brave tennis! For three years, from 2014 to 2016, the late-blooming Lausanne native was the talk of the tennis world and a genuine threat to three of the best male players to ever step on the tennis court.
But that wasn’t all. Wawrinka had five wins over reigning No.1 players at the majors, and 21 Top 10 wins at the Slams. He was the ultimate disruptor, his burly backhand ripping a hole in the heart of his competition, his relentless attack putting even the best on their collective back foot.
It was that remarkable ability to beat the best at their best that will make Wawrinka a sure-thing Hall of Famer, and it was the way he carried himself and embraced the public that will make him a fan favorite forever.
Even today, as tears streamed in Basel, the crowd roared its approval as Wawrinka high-fived ball kids on his way off the court. A man of the people off to greener pastures. We’ll see him again, and when we do, we’ll be smiling.
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