Three-Time Grand Slam Champion Wawrinka Hangs Up His Racquet

Basel, October 28: Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka has retired from tennis. The 41-year-old Swiss star confirmed his decision after a defeat to Jiri Lehecka in the Swiss Indoors Basel, a tournament held in his home country.

Wawrinka built his reputation on a fearsome one-handed backhand that became a trademark of his game. Across his career, he collected three major singles crowns, an Olympic gold medal and a Davis Cup title. He won 590 tour-level matches and 16 tour-level titles in total.

He reached a career-best ranking of No. 3 in the ATP standings in 2014. That year also brought his solitary Masters 1000 victory, at Monte-Carlo, where he prevailed over Roger Federer, his compatriot and one of the greatest players the sport has seen.

His three Grand Slam victories were all earned against the best players of the moment. He opened the 2014 Australian Open title by beating Rafael Nadal, then took the 2015 French Open by defeating Novak Djokovic. He claimed the 2016 US Open after another win over Djokovic.

Wawrinka was among the leading names of the Big Three era, a period dominated by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. He ended his career with 590 tour-level wins, a total that reflects his consistency and competitiveness over many years.

One of the proudest chapters of his career came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he and Federer won men's doubles gold for Switzerland. Six years later, the pair also delivered the country's first Davis Cup title.

In his own words, Wawrinka said that his approach as a player had shifted over the last 20 years, but his core aim had stayed the same: to give maximum effort, fight without fear and leave the court without regret. He stressed respect for himself, opponents, tournaments and fans, calling it the most important principle of his career.