Novak Djokovic’s special request for Stan Wawrinka’s Basel farewell ‘says a lot’ about the Serb
Novak Djokovic made a special request for Stan Wawrinka’s farewell at the 2026 Swiss Indoors that “says a lot”, the tournament’s boss has revealed.
Wawrinka will bring down the curtain on his outstanding career at the ATP 500 tournament in Basel this week.
The 41-year-old, who is competing in Basel as a wildcard, will face world No 21 Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday evening in what could be his last-ever match.
The Swiss legend, who turned pro in 2002, reached a career-high ranking of world No 3, and he has collected 16 singles titles — including three Grand Slams.
Wawrinka overcame Djokovic in all three of his major title runs, having defeated the Serb in the quarter-finals at the 2014 Australian Open and the finals at the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open.
Djokovic, a winner of a record 24 Grand Slam titles, is also playing in Basel this week after accepting a wildcard.
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Roger Brennwald, the president of the Swiss Indoors, told Swiss newspaper Blick that Djokovic asked to attend Wawrinka’s opening match in Basel.
“As soon as it was confirmed that he would be playing for us, Novak came to see me to ask if he could attend Stan’s farewell match,” Brennwald divulged.
“In my eyes, that says a lot about the great champion and the fantastic sportsman he is.
“I then invited him to my box, where other prominent figures in sports will also be present, such as Martina Hingis and Dario Cologna (a Swiss cross-country skier).”
Asked how Wawrinka’s farewell was organised, Brennwald said: “Everything was settled with a single phone call.
“In the spring, Stan called me to ask what I thought of the idea of making Basel the final stage of his career.
“I replied, ‘I’m honoured that you’re considering it.’ Then I said, ‘There’s no question about it. We’re ready to organise a ceremony’.”
Brennwald also spoke about Wawrinka’s popularity in tennis.
“Stan has always been very popular on the tour. Not just with the fans, but with the other players too,” Brennwald said.
“What he accomplished during the era of the Big Four — Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray — deserves the utmost respect.
“Playing in Federer’s shadow in Basel certainly wasn’t always easy. But Stan always stayed true to himself. He followed his own path.”
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