Swiss tennis legend Stan Wawrinka carried extra emotion onto Court 1 on Tuesday. Having announced in December last year that he would retire after the 2026 season, the three-time Grand Slam champion would have hoped for a longer Wimbledon farewell tour. However, Matteo Berrettini brought his journey to an end in four sets. The aftermath, though, was a tearjerker as Wawrinka addressed the crowd one final time, bidding farewell to the fans and the iconic grass courts of London.

Wawrinka, who played in his 19th Wimbledon championships on Tuesday, got pretty emotional and shed tears during his post-match interview. Though the 41-year-old may still have the competitive spirit and the desire to battle it out on the court, he knows that it’s the right time for him to stop.

“I don’t want to retire, but I know it’s time for me to stop,” he said. “One of the reasons I kept playing for so long was to enjoy these moments like tonight. So much emotion. I’m so grateful to have this opportunity. To have received a wildcard, to have the chance to play one last time in Wimbledon. It’s such a special tournament.

“As a kid, you always dream about maybe being here one day. I had a chance to play it so many times. With that kind of support, it means so much to me. Thank you so much for all those years,” Wawrkina concluded.

Despite the defeat, Wawrinka made sure that his final match of the SW19 would prove to be a memorable one. He very well knew that Berrettini, a former Finalist in the tournament, likes to play on grass. Both played a very tight first set that eventually ended up going into a tiebreaker, which Wawrinka won 9-7. The second set would also be pretty evenly matched as both players continued being strong on their serves and fired a massive number of aces.

A second tiebreaker would then ensue, and it would turn out to be the most absorbing one of the lot. Though both of them put in a commendable effort, Wawrinka wasn’t able to handle Berrettini’s rock-solid serve and lost the breaker 18-16.

The roof at Court 1 was then closed before the third set to build an even greater atmosphere for the final match of the day at the venue. The clash pretty much continued at the same pace as both players were strong on the serve once again. There were barely any breaks of serve, and the set would once again be decided through a tiebreaker.

The crowd was totally behind Wawrinka at this point, and the cheers were only getting louder with every point that he won. But Berrettini maintained his composure amid the rough atmosphere and took a valuable lead in the match by clinching the third breaker 9-7.

Both players remained strong on their serves in the fourth set, too. While Wawrinka won 81% of the points on his first serve, Berrettini proved to be slightly better in the area and won 86% of the points on offer. As a result, the fourth set was also dragged to a tiebreaker. It was here that Wawrinka’s tough resilience would be brought to an end by Berrettini as he won the breaker 7-5 to secure a hard-fought 6-7, 7-6,7-6, 7-6, victory.

Interestingly, this was also Wawrinka’s first-ever meeting with the 30-year-old Berrettini, and it was a reminder of the fighter and entertainer he has always been, battling until the very last point. After witnessing such a thrilling contest, many fans couldn’t help but feel Wawrinka had decided to retire too soon.

Stan Wawrinka, you will be missed, say fans

Wawrinka was never part of the Big Three that dominated the sport for well over a decade. But that didn’t mean they relished facing him. While Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and compatriot Roger Federer all finished with superior head-to-head records against the Swiss, those numbers don’t tell the full story. When it mattered most, Wawrinka often rose to the occasion.

Djokovic, for instance, lost two Grand Slam finals to Wawrinka: the 2015 French Open, where the Swiss defeated Federer en route to the title, and the 2016 US Open. Nadal also fell to Wawrinka in the 2014 Australian Open final. Very few players in tennis history can claim to have beaten two of the greatest players of all time on the sport’s biggest stage.

A fan remarked that Wawrinka is a player who will be missed a lot. “One of the finest humans on the tour…Stan will be missed.”

Another fan felt that Wawrinka still has the fitness to keep on playing by highlighting how close the match against Berrettini was. “Stan u can keep going for 1 more year. This was an incredible match that could have gone either way.”

One of the fans hoped for Wawrinka to reverse his retirement and not leave the tour. “We don’t want you to go, Stan! What a legend!”

There was also a fan who showered praise on Wawrinka for having a remarkable career and providing them with many unforgettable memories. “What a beautiful moment. A true champion until the very end. Thank you, Stan, for all the incredible memories and passion you brought to the sport.”

Wawrinka will retire as one of tennis’ all-time greats, having won every Grand Slam title except Wimbledon, where his best result was reaching the quarterfinals in 2014 and 2015. With his grass-court season now over, the Swiss veteran will shift his focus to the hard-court swing later this month. Meanwhile, Berrettini will be full of confidence as he prepares for his second-round clash against Arthur Fils at Wimbledon.