Stan Wawrinka's career ends in Basel with a loss to Lehecka, as Shelton hits 44 aces to survive his opener

Stan Wawrinka played the last match of his career on Tuesday, 27 October, losing 7-5 7-6(2) to eighth seed Jiri Lehecka in the first round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel. The 41-year-old three-time major champion had announced before the season that 2026 would be his final year, and he chose his home tournament to finish.

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Stan Wawrinka vs Jiri Lehecka Highlights | Basel Round 1 — ATP Tour · YouTube, plays on click

A last match in front of his home crowd

Wawrinka, who received a farewell ceremony on Monday, kept both sets close and fed off a full, loud St. Jakobshalle, the ATP reported. Tennis Now noted that it came 23 years after his first appearance at the tournament. Lehecka played down his own win: "It's not about me today. It's about Stan and his legendary career," he said, adding that he had watched Wawrinka win the biggest titles as a child.

Three majors, each against the world No. 1

Wawrinka ends his career with 16 ATP titles and 590 tour-level match wins, according to Tennis Now. The best of them came late: he won the Australian Open in 2014, beating Rafael Nadal in the final, then Roland-Garros in 2015 and the US Open in 2016, beating Novak Djokovic in both of those finals, Sky Sports recalled. Each of his three major finals was won against the reigning world No. 1. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 in 2014 and also won Olympic gold in doubles with Roger Federer at Beijing 2008.

Known for his one-handed backhand and his finger-to-temple celebration, he spent much of his last seasons coming back from injuries. Alex de Minaur called him "one of the purest ball-strikers that the game has ever seen" in a tribute video shown after the match.

Shelton's 44 aces

Earlier in the evening, top seed Ben Shelton avoided becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose in the opening round in Basel since 2001. He hit 44 aces to beat lucky loser Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 7-6(4) in 2 hours and 36 minutes. Shelton, a 2024 Basel finalist who has already qualified for the ATP Finals, said he had changed his serve technique for the indoor season: "This is how you win on fast indoor courts." He plays Swiss wild card Jerome Kym next.

Turin hopefuls advance

Two players fighting for the last places in Turin also won. Arthur Fils beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6 7-5 and will face Alex Michelsen, and Rafael Jodar beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-4 6-2. Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz, who also need points, play their first matches in Basel on Wednesday. All results are on our tennis results page.