(VIDEO) "I love this sport so much": Wawrinka breaks down in tears after losing Umag final

Switzerland’s veteran tennis star Stan Wawrinka made an emotional speech after losing the final of the Croatia Open.

The 38-year-old was on the losing side to Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the final of the event on Sunday with a score of 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Wawrinka was clearly distraught after losing the final and he ended up making an emotional speech where he thanked the fans for their support and expressed optimism that he will return to the tournament next year.

“Guys, thank you so much. I know it’s so stupid to cry, but I love this sport so much and you make it really special. Amazing week. Really, hopefully I can come back and thank you for the support during the week. Thank you for being here and hopefully I see you next year,” he said.

The defeat would be a blow for Wawrinka in his preparation for the upcoming US Open, especially after he had a rather average outing in the recently concluded Wimbledon 2023.

The Lausanne-born suffered defeat against current world number two Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the round of 32 of the third Grand Slam of the year with a score of 6-3, 6-1, 7-6.

Wawrinka has an impressive record while playing at the US Open where he won the competition back in 2016 after defeating Djokovic in the final with a score of 6–7(1–7), 6–4, 7–5, 6–3.