Heartbreak for Stan Wawrinka: Title bid denied by Borna Coric in epic three-hour final

Stan Wawrinka was left empty-handed at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger in a high-stakes match against Borna Coric, losing 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(4). The Swiss player was seeking his first title since the Prague Challenger in 2020 but couldn't overcome the consistency of the Croatian, who prevailed after more than 3 hours.

It was a true battle between two players who have excelled at the very highest level. Wawrinka is more than recognized as one of the best players of the last two decades, carving out a place for himself in the era of the Big Three and winning three Grand Slam titles: the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open, and the 2016 US Open.

On the other side was Croatian Borna Coric, a generational talent who, while not achieving consistent success at the top level, can boast a Masters 1000 title from the 2022 Cincinnati Open. Notably, Coric was the first opponent Wawrinka defeated 10 years ago on his way to the Roland Garros title.

Both players saw a good opportunity in the Challenger 175 event, which featured a high-level draw for this category of tournaments, including players like Alexei Popyrin, Reilly Opelka, Quentin Halys, and Jaume Munar.

The first set saw both players displaying high consistency on serve, with first-serve effectiveness above 70% for both. The first break point didn't arrive until Wawrinka was serving at 5-5, but Coric couldn't convert it. In a tight tie-break – in which both struggled to hold their service points – it was Wawrinka who prevailed, winning the last four points consecutively 7-6 [7-5] after one hour and 10 minutes.

In the second set, Coric stepped on the gas, taking advantage of a good start to secure the first break of the match on just his second opportunity. In a few minutes, he went ahead 3-0, and Coric seemed closer to a second break than the Swiss to a comeback. Without too many problems, the Croatian world No. 104 took the set 6-3.

The final part of the match had epic undertones, with the 40-year-old recovering from a 2-4 deficit, and after several opportunities for both players, they ended up deciding everything in the tie-break. With the score 3-1 in the tie-break in favor of Coric, the match was interrupted by intensifying rain in the French city. After a few minutes, they returned to the court, the former world No. 3 recovered the mini-break, but Coric ultimately took the victory 6-7[5], 6-3, 7-6[4].

Wawrinka nonetheless added 90 ranking points and will appear as world No. 132 starting Monday, marking his return to the top 150. On the other hand, Coric advances 20 positions in the ranking and reaches world No. 82. Both players are scheduled for their next challenge in the French Open qualifying.