This month has seen two of the greatest players in the history of tennis call it quits after more than two decades of service to the sport. While Serena Williams retired during the US Open after her third-round loss, Roger Federer followed her in announcing his retirement after the last Grand Slam tournament of the season. The Swiss legend revealed that the upcoming Laver Cup will be the last tournament of his career.

While we all were expecting Federer to have one last dance before ending his illustrious career, it wasn’t to be due to his persistent knee problems. Recently, his compatriot and close friend, Stanislas Wawrinka, opened up about the Swiss maestro’s retirement.

Stanislas Wawrinka talks about his feelings after Roger Federer announced his retirement

Wawrinka is in France to participate in the Moselle Open. During a press conference at the tournament, he revealed his emotions after hearing about Federer’s retirement. Wawrinka said, “The first feeling is sadness. He’s a friend, a big brother. He would have deserved a better end to finish his career.”

Federer and Wawrinka share a close bond. Despite being fierce rivals on the court, they maintain mutual respect and friendship for each other on and off the court. They also played doubles together at the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing, where they defeated Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson in the final to win the gold medal.

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Further, talking about the singles matches between them, Federer dominated in the matches against Wawrinka. In the 26 matches played between them, Wawrinka has managed to win just 3 matches.

Wawrinka at the Moselle Open

The Swiss star entered the main draw of the tournament via the qualifying rounds. In the opening round of the tournament, he will take on Joao Sousa of Portugal. Further, if he manages to overcome the opening hurdle, a clash with the top seed, Daniil Medvedev will be on the cards.

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Can Wawrinka dig deep in the tournament? Let us know your views in the comments below.