Stan Wawrinka has bowed out of his last-ever Barcelona Open after losing his first match against Cameron Norrie.
Wawrinka is currently playing his final season on the ATP Tour before retiring from tennis, with his latest venture taking him to Spain.
But despite Wawrinka having a favorable Barcelona draw, he was beaten 4-6, 7-6(7-5), 4-6 by British ace Norrie.
It was the Swiss veteran’s opening match at the ATP 500 tournament, for which he had received a wildcard.
And his Barcelona Open exit has proven more painful than most others, with the legendary figure taking to social media to share his immediate thoughts.
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Boris Becker watches Stan Wawrinka’s Barcelona Open farewell
Sharing images of his time at the event, Wawrinka posted on his Instagram: “Barcelona. This was a painful goodbye.
“I will always be so grateful for what you gave me.
“Back in 2001, I was here as a kid, watching every match I could, dreaming that one day I’d step on this court.
“Barcelona is where I learned, where I grew up, where I fought, where I found the passion.
“From watching the ‘Spanish Armada’ to playing futures and national tournaments, those moments help me become the player I am today.
“This place will always be special to me. Gracias Barcelona.”
Quick to comment on the post was his fellow icon Boris Becker, who wrote: “I watched your match, you still play beautifully the game we both love!”
Stan Wawrinka deserves French Open wildcard
It was quite the effort from Wawrinka, who will undoubtedly be feeling fatigued after a very lengthy battle with Norrie.
The pair played for two hours and 33 minutes before the Briton finally clinched the win, setting up a round of 16 tie with American qualifier Ethan Quinn.
Meanwhile, Wawrinka can leave the tournament with his head held high, and can look forward to another ATP wildcard soon.
He has already earned that status for next month’s Geneva Open, a tournament he won in both 2016 and 2017.
The latter represents the most recent success for the 16-time ATP champion, who will undoubtedly be dreaming of bowing out from the Swiss event with another title.
| Year | Titles | Tournaments |
| 2017 | 1 | Geneva (Outdoor/Clay) |
| 2016 | 4 | US Open (Outdoor/Hard) Geneva (Outdoor/Clay) Dubai (Outdoor/Hard) Chennai (Outdoor/Hard) |
| 2015 | 4 | Tokyo (Outdoor/Hard) Roland Garros (Outdoor/Clay) Rotterdam (Indoor/Hard) Chennai (Outdoor/Hard) |
| 2014 | 3 | ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo (Outdoor/Clay) Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard) Chennai (Outdoor/Hard) |
| 2013 | 1 | Oeiras (Outdoor/Clay) |
| 2011 | 1 | Chennai (Outdoor/Hard) |
| 2010 | 1 | Casablanca (Outdoor/Clay) |
| 2006 | 1 | Umag (Outdoor/Clay) |
Wawrinka is also likely dreaming of another wildcard soon, having just missed the entry cutoff for the French Open.
Along with the likes of Paula Badosa and Grigor Dimitrov, the 41-year-old will likely need to play in qualifying or receive a wildcard to enter the main draw.
And he unquestionably deserves one in his final season in tennis, having claimed his second career Grand Slam title at the tournament in 2015.
He defeated Novak Djokovic to lift the trophy in Paris, before losing to Rafael Nadal in the final on the iconic clay courts in 2017.
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