Roger Federer sends touching message to Stan Wawrinka as his friend retires in Basel
Stan Wawrinka played the final match of his glittering career at the 2026 Swiss Indoors, and Roger Federer has paid tribute to his compatriot.
Swiss icon Wawrinka bowed out after a 7-5, 7-6(2) defeat to Jiri Lehecka in the first round at the ATP 500 tournament in Basel on Tuesday evening.
The 41-year-old, who played his first professional match in 2002, amassed a 590-395 record and won 16 ATP Tour singles titles — including three Grand Slams (2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open).
The former world No 3 defeated Novak Djokovic six times, while he recorded three victories against both Federer and Rafael Nadal.
He defeated Djokovic in all three of his Grand Slam title runs, while he beat Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final and Federer in the French Open quarter-finals in 2015.
Wawrinka has shared a long friendship with his fellow Swiss legend Federer — who was a key mentor early in his career.
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At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Wawrinka and Federer teamed up to win gold medals in the doubles event.
The duo also played key roles in Switzerland winning the Davis Cup for the first and only time in 2014.
In a video shared by Swiss outlet SRF Sport, Federer sent a touching message to Wawrinka.
“Dear Stan, I would like to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible career,” said the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
“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.”
In 2022, Wawrinka explained how Federer helped him during his early years on the tour.
“When I arrived, Roger was already at the top of tennis. He took me a little like a big brother. He helped me, we trained a lot together,” Wawrinka told Canal+.
“I was lucky to be able to rub shoulders with him a lot, in training, in tournaments. In the Davis Cup, we shared a lot of things. Afterwards, he simply became a friend. We were a little at the same level, not career, but behaviour, mutual aid.
“I owe him a lot in my career. There were positive things. I grew and improved thanks to him. He helped me a lot. Thanks to him, I won the Olympic Games and the Davis Cup. Those are two of the biggest titles of my career.”
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