Stan Wawrinka reveals the toughest loss in his entire career which still haunts him to this day

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Stan Wawrinka has enjoyed a legendary tennis career and is still going strong at 39 years old.

There are few players on the ATP Tour with stronger resumes than the Swiss star, who has won three Grand Slam titles.

Competing in one of the most competitive eras in tennis history, Wawrinka beat the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to win Major titles.

After winning three Grand Slam titles in three years between 2014, and 2016, Wawrinka’s form began to cool off, before suffering an injury in 2021 that required surgery.

Since then, he hasn’t quite been able to reach the level he once showed, most recently losing in the first round of the Australian Open to Lorenzo Sonego.

It was a tough defeat for the world number 154, but it was far from the toughest of his career, as he has now revealed.

Stan Wawrinka says five-set Wimbledon defeat to Richard Gasquet in 2015 was a ‘tough loss’

Appearing as a guest on the Nothing Major podcast, Wawrinka was asked which moment in his tennis career haunts him the most.

“Richard Gasquet in the quarter-final of Wimbledon in 2015,” he said.

“Losing in five sets on Court One.

“It was to play Novak [Djokovic] in the semis after winning the French [Open].

“That was a tough loss for me.”

Ten years ago, Wawrinka was competing in just his second Wimbledon quarter-final, having beaten Djokovic in the French Open final just a few months earlier.

Wimbledon had statistically been the now 39-year-old’s weakest Slam, but looked good in 2015, having not dropped a set on his way to the quarter finals.

• 1R – Beat Joao Sousa, 6-2, 7-5, 7-6
• 2R – Beat Victor Estrella Burgos, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
• 3R – Beat Fernando Verdasco, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
• 4R – Beat David Goffin, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4

It was there that he came up against Gasquet, who was hoping to reach a second career Wimbledon semi-final, and his first in eight years.

What followed was a grass court classic, as the European stars fought it out over five thrilling sets on Court One.

You’ll struggle to find a more aesthetically pleasing match to watch, as two of the greatest one-handed backhands were at their very best throughout.

After almost three and a half hours of action, Wawrinka was the man to blink, as Gasquet broke in the 20th game of the fifth set to win, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9.

Gasquet advanced to play Djokovic in the last four, where he lost in straight sets, ending his Wimbledon dreams.

Neither Gasquet nor Wawrinka came closer to winning Wimbledon than they did in 2015, as the Swiss star struggled on grass in the years that followed.

Stan Wawrinka says the 2016 US Open was his toughest Grand Slam victory

Wawrinka was then asked to pick which of his three Grand Slam triumphs was toughest.

“I think physically and mentally it was the US Open,” he said.

“The weekend of the semi-final and final was super hot and humid.

“I remember every player was suffering a lot and for me it was mentally and physically the toughest one.”

Wawrinka saved a match point in the third round against Dan Evans, before battling past the likes of Juan Martin del Potro, Kei Nishikori, and Djokovic to lift the title at Flushing Meadows.

The title was Wawrinka’s third at the Grand Slam level, as he beat the world number one in all three of his Major finals.

• 2014 Australian Open beat Rafael Nadal [1]
• 2015 French Open beat Novak Djokovic [1]
• 2016 US Open beat Novak Djokovic [1]

The Swiss star reached one further final, as he lost to Nadal at Roland Garros in 2017, but hasn’t been back to the last four of a Slam since.

If Wawrinka were to win another Grand Slam title, he would become the oldest player in the Open Era to do so, as he’s set to turn 40 years old before the start of this year’s French Open.

The French Open begins on Sunday, May 25.