The awarding of a singles wildcard for Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon went completely unchallenged by the masses, who were happy to see such a legendary figure celebrated once again.
That is, despite this being the only Grand Slam which he did not win, which drew questions about whether the All England Club would offer him that opportunity to depart on his own terms.
Regardless of results or performance, after the career he has enjoyed and all he’s given to the sport, the Swiss superstar had earned this.
And, coincidentally, he and Matteo Berrettini played out an enthralling affair on Court 1, with the Italian emerging victorious in the end.
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He had been a class act before, during and after this match, taking every opportunity to encourage the crowd to celebrate the 41-year-old.
Then, after his loss, it was Stan Wawrinka‘s turn to speak.
Stan Wawrinka gives his final speech after losing at Wimbledon
Having put in such a stellar performance against a former Wimbledon finalist, narrowly losing in four sets, Wawrinka was asked if he might reconsider his retirement.
He chuckled as he wiped away tears, before replying: “I don’t want to retire, but I know it’s time for me to stop.
“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.”
Then, touching on Wimbledon, Berrettini, and his retirement as a whole, Wawrinka continued: “It was not my first time here. I pushed it to my own limit tonight. It was a great fight.
“Matteo is a good friend. He’s a great guy. He deserved to win, so congrats.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye to something you love so much. I’ve always been passionate about the game. I’m grateful. I’d like to thank everybody because I had a chance, this opportunity to play here. I couldn’t dream of a better goodbye. Thank you so much for the support.”
Whilst the tennis world stood still to watch Serena Williams lose to Maya Joint on Centre Court, many will have missed a remarkable send-off for Wawrinka and a dramatic battle deserving of his last-ever match on this hallowed turf.
Did Stan Wawrinka ever come close to winning Wimbledon?
As referenced earlier, Wawrinka has lifted the title in Melbourne, Paris and New York. Wimbledon was the one that always eluded him.
And whilst these respective major titles were a surprise given the era he won them in, his consistent performances at these events justified his eventual triumph.
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He reached two Australian Open semi-finals after he won his 2014 title, another semi-final and final after his Roland Garros triumph, and again two semi-finals before his US Open win.
However, at Wimbledon, he never made it past the quarter-final stage.
Only twice did he make it to that stage, and of the 18 appearances he made at this event, Wawrinka only made the second week four times. He never really looked likely on the grass, but that bears little impact on his sparkling legacy.
