Stan Wawrinka who is a former World No. 3 tennis player, was left to tears after his loss in the Croatia Open final against Alexei Popyrin, marking his first tour-level final since 2019. Despite losing the game, he expressed his gratitude to his fans and his unconditional love for the sport during his post-match speech.
Earlier, Wawrinka, who won his first ATP title in Umag in 2006, displayed a brilliant performance throughout the ATP 250 event, not losing a single set until the final match. But then he played against a strong opponent in the form of 23-year-old Australian player, Popyrin. Wawrinka initially started well after winning the first set in a tie-break but then was not able to maintain his momentum as he ended up losing the two back-to-back sets. Even though Wawrinka lost the game, the crowd’s warm support made it a memorable event.
"I know it's so stupid to cry, but I love this sport so much. You make it really special. Amazing week. Hopefully, I can come back. Thank you for your support. Thank you for being here. Hopefully, I see you next year."
The 23-year-old Popyrin offered a heartwarming tribute to Wawrinka and referred to him as a legend of the game.
"It's an unbelievable honour to play somebody like Stan in a final," said Popyrin.
"I grew up watching him, Roger, Rafa, Novak play. To play him in a final and beat him in a final, words can't describe how happy I am. It's an unbelievable feeling."
The young Australian sustained a heavy cramp during the game and he even called the physio but still found a way out in the ninth game before serving out for victory.
"All tournament I've been fighting battles that I don't know how I won. This one tops it all," Popyrin said on court. "I felt cramp, I felt (the muscle) strain but I managed to dig deep. I don't know how I won it.