Stan Wawrinka has called time on his glittering tennis career after losing his opening match at the Basel Open.

Wawrinka was a wildcard at the ATP 500 tournament in Switzerland, and was drawn against Jiri Lehecka in the first round. And despite a battling performance from the 41-year-old, he was defeated 7-5, 7-6(7-2) in a high-quality clash.

The ATP legend was honoured at his home event as he bowed out from tennis, which he leaves as a three-time Grand Slam champion and a former world number three. But Wawrinka has now discussed the impact that he would like to leave above all else after his last-ever match at the Basel Open.

Stan Wawrinka suggests his legacy after retiring in Basel

When asked about his legacy, Wawrinka told the ATP website: “It’s not up to me. There are different visions of me as a player over the past 20 years. For me, all I wanted in my career was to give everything, to have no regrets, to always fight, to always give 100 per cent in every match – out of respect for myself, for the opponent, for the tournament, for the fans, for everybody. That was always the most important thing for more than 20 years, and that’s the only way you can leave the sport: without any regrets.”

It’s fair to say that is how he will be remembered by tennis fans, not least because he kept going until the age of 41. His Grand Slam titles also epitomise what he brought to the sport, having beaten fellow legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic (twice) in his three finals. Wawrinka also hangs up his racket with 16 ATP titles and 590 tour-level wins.

Who will you miss the most of these retiring legends? 😢

What ATP players really think about Stan Wawrinka

Wawrinka’s longtime coach Magnus Norman has also been speaking about the iconic figure upon his retirement, which has arrived after a one-hour, 51-minute battle on court. Norman said: “He’s just someone you want to go out and have a beer with, which I think is why he’s so liked throughout the world. Speaking to all his colleagues on the Tour, no one has anything bad to say about Stan.

“He treats everyone the same, whether it’s the driver, the cleaning lady at the hotel, the ball boys and ball girls, or the number one player in the world. For Stan, it really doesn’t matter. He treats everyone the same, and that’s what I’m taking with me.”

It remains to be seen what Wawrinka will do following his playing career, but Norman has already accepted another coaching job. Current ATP number one Jannik Sinner has replaced Darren Cahill with Norman, who is set to coach the Italian starting from next year, working alongside Simone Vagnozzi.

Meanwhile, after playing the role of the villain against Wawrinka, Lehecka will meet Daniel Altmaier in the second round in Basel. The former is the eighth seed at the event, while the latter is a lucky loser. The winner of that encounter could then be forced to take on top seed Ben Shelton.