Roger Federer leads touching tributes towards Stan Wawrinka after tennis career comes to an end

Swiss tennis has been through a golden period in the last two decades. Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka ended his long and illustrious tennis career after exiting the Swiss Indoors in the opening round. Fellow countryman, Roger Federer, was quick to send over a special message in the wake of Wawrinka's final farewell.

The 41-year-old's retirement was inevitable. He has been competing at the top of the sport for so long now, but he made the decision at the end of last year that 2026 would be his final year competing on the ATP Tour.

He made the most of it, wowing and entertaining tennis fans all over the world one more time. He headlined all four major tournaments, finally culminating on home soil in Basel. He had a tough opening round test against the eighth seed, Jiri Lehecka, and would lose 7-5, 7-6(2).

It was an enthralling match which saw just one break of serve. That came at the end of the first set when the Czech won 12 of the final 13 points to sail ahead. A tiebreak was confirmed, and it would be sealed by Lehecka in formidable fashion, bringing a legendary career to an end. It was not the way he would have wanted to finish, but it is very rare tennis players end with a win. He lapped up the applause and support from the home crowd as he said goodbye to the sport he was once a master of.

The former World No.3 won 16 ATP titles, including the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open. He stood up to the 'Big Three' and was one of the challengers to find success in a time when Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Federer were dominating the tennis landscape.

The latter was the first to retire, and Wawrinka was waving the Swiss flag alone. He would soldier on for another few years, but it is finally the end. The duo together enjoyed much success, winning the 2008 Olympics gold medal in the doubles while leading their country to the 2014 Davis Cup title.

In a video shared by Swiss outlet SRF Sport, Federer sent a poignant message in the direction of Wawrinka. “Dear Stan, I would like to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible career," he said.

“It’s amazing what you have achieved. It was great that we were able to experience a lot together, whether it was the Davis Cup in Lille, or the Olympics in Beijing — this victory was incredible. Thank you very much. This is something I will never forget. I hope you will never forget it either. And then, of course, the Grand Slam victory and the way you fought and trained hard with Pierre [Paganini].

“I congratulate your parents and your family. I congratulate your team. And I wish you all the best. A little word in French, so you understand me. I think of you. I miss you. I love you, my boy. Enjoy the moment. See you soon. Bye bye.”

Wawrinka will leave a gaping hole on the ATP Tour that will be tough to fill. His legacy will be remembered and cherished by all tennis fans who watched him throughout the years, challenge and beat the greats before continuing to play on at the highest level. His next steps away from the court will be followed with intrigue.