Islamabad, 28 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka brought his illustrious 24-year professional tennis career to an end on Tuesday after losing to Czech player Jiri Lehecka at the Swiss Indoors in Basel. Playing his final match in front of his home fans, the 41-year-old Swiss star suffered a 7-5, 7-6(2) defeat. Wawrinka had announced last year that he would retire at the end of the 2026 season, marking the conclusion of a career that began when he turned professional in 2002. He won his first Grand Slam title by defeating Rafael Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final before claiming two more major championships with victories over Novak Djokovic in the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open finals. Speaking to the ATP website, Wawrinka said his main goal throughout his career had been to give his best, fight in every match and finish without regrets, out of respect for himself, his opponents, tournaments and fans. During his career, he won 16 ATP titles and reached a career-high ranking of world number three in 2014. He also won Olympic doubles gold alongside fellow Swiss star Roger Federer in 2008 and helped Switzerland secure its first Davis Cup title in 2014. Wawrinka’s retirement marks the end of an era for Swiss tennis, with the former world number three remembered for his powerful groundstrokes, resilience and success against some of the sport’s greatest players.