Stan Wawrinka Reveals Matteo Berrettini’s Incredible Gesture After Their Titanic Wimbledon Encounter

Stan Wawrinka bade farewell to Wimbledon in a memorable fashion on Tuesday night (June 30), after soaking in a round of applause from the crowd following his loss to Matteo Berrettini. The 41-year-old, who showed intriguing fight and composure, later revealed an emotional gesture that Berrettini displayed towards him.

There were not many expectations for Wawrinka ahead of Wimbledon, as this is his final season on tour. The former World No.3 didn’t partake in any warm-up grass-court tournament ahead of the Grand Slam tournament. Also, he last won a tour-level match in May at the Geneva Open.

The former French Open champion gave a rock-solid serving performance against Berrettini and won the second set, which forced the contest to be played under the closed roof of the Center Court. It was not the first time that Wawrinka had played under a closed roof at Wimbledon, as he felt relaxed about it.

He had played under the closed roof against Andy Murray in 2009, but lost the match in five sets. After losing the third set against Berrettini, Wawrinka hoped to get back on track in the fourth set by winning it and forcing a decider. He did his best to ensure that the match went into a tiebreak, but it wasn’t enough in the end.

Berrettini found a way to overcome the Swiss legend 7-6(7), 6(16)-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(5) in the first round of Wimbledon after four hours and 19 minutes. The loss meant Wawrinka had played the final match of his career at the All England Club. After the match, Wawrinka admitted that Berrettini had given him a towel, reminding him it was his final match at the SW19:

Matteo picked up my towel from the court and came back to give it to me. He said, ‘Don’t forget this. It’s your last Wimbledon.’ It was a very nice gesture on his part… It has been a good year, and yes, it will be my last year as a professional. My goal is still to compete at the highest level in every tournament, try to win matches, and end the season in the best possible way.

Last month, Berrettini was frustrated after leaving the court during his quarter-final match at the French Open. In what was his first Roland Garros quarter-final, the Italian star played just a few minutes before getting injured and retiring from the match. That run helped him earn his place in the Wimbledon draw without playing in the qualifying rounds.

Stan Wawrinka admits he didn’t want to retire following his Wimbledon exit

Stan Wawrinka has struggled to be at his best on the court in the past three seasons but ruled out retiring from tour until this season. The three-time Grand Slam champion had failed to reach the quarter-finals of any major tournament in the last three seasons, but continues to show what it means to compete on tour at 41.

It was earlier this season that Wawrinka decided to call it time with his career and hang up his racket after over a decade and a half. He has played in all three Grand Slam tournaments this year with a wildcard. During the aforementioned press conference, he revealed that he never wanted to retire, but he has finally had to quit professional tennis:

I don’t want to retire, but I know it’s time to stop. One of the reasons I kept playing for so long was to experience nights like this. I am very grateful to have received an invitation and to have the opportunity to play one last time at Wimbledon. It is a very special tournament. When you are a child, you always dream of being able to play here someday, and I have had the privilege of doing it for so many years.

Wawrinka won two matches at the Australian Open in January before losing to Taylor Fritz in the third round. The Swiss legend reached the round of 16 of the Montpellier Open, Rotterdam Open, and Dubai Tennis Championships. He will hope to earn another wildcard for the US Open in August.

Also Read: Jessica Pegula Blasts ‘Harsh’ Doping Suspension of Marketa Vondrousova