Physically, Stan Wawrinka does not seem fully capable of enduring long matches on the main tour, but that has not stopped him from continuing. Driven by burning desire and passion, he regularly competes at the Challenger level to stay in optimal condition and be ready to seize any opportunities that arise on the main tour.
One such opportunity is now presenting itself at his home event in Basel, where he has been rightly awarded a wildcard. A strong run here could earn him crucial wins and points, potentially bringing him back near the top 100 and easing his path on the tour. Whether he can capitalize on this chance, however, remains uncertain given his current significant decline in fitness and endurance.
Wawrinka has made 17 appearances at Basel over the years. Although he has never claimed a title at his home event, he has produced several memorable runs, reaching at least the quarterfinals or further six times, most recently in 2022.
Miomir Kecmanovic has been a frustratingly unpredictable and inconsistent player over the past two years. Despite possessing all the talent needed to be a consistent top-30 or even top-20 player, he has repeatedly underperformed. This year has been no different, leaving him in negative territory with a 25–27 win-loss record in 2025.
His most recent outing in Stockholm last week highlighted these issues starkly. In a winnable second-round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, he lost in three sets despite creating twice as many break points as his opponent. He heads into this clash having lost five of his last six matches on the tour.
The Serbian has a mediocre record at Basel, with two of his previous three campaigns ending in the first round and the other in the second round in 2022. His career indoor hard-court record also reflects similar inconsistency, standing at 30–33.
Head-to-head: Stan Wawrinka leads 1–0. In recent times, Wawrinka’s challenges have largely been linked to age-related endurance and fitness, as he can often match younger players for a set or two but tends to be outlasted in longer, grueling matches. He is expected to be competitive here and could even claim victory in a shorter contest, but the longer the match extends, the greater Kecmanovic’s chances of prevailing.
