Stan Wawrinka recalled a hilarious incident as he gave his speech after playing the final of the 2017 BNP Paribas Open against fellow countryman Roger Federer. Wawrinka recently announced that 2026 would be his last year on the ATP Tour, as the Swiss legend draws the curtain on a 24-year-long career.
“My Bad”- What Did Stan Wawrinka Say During His 2017 Indian Wells Speech?
Stan Wawrinka faced off against Roger Federer in the final of the 2017 BNP Paribas Open in an all-Swiss encounter. This match was on the back of a five-set thriller the two had played at the Australian Open a few weeks prior, which Federer had won. The final in the Californian desert was competitive for both sets, but Federer won it 6-4, 7-5.
During the trophy presentation, Wawrinka started his speech with a hilarious undertone, stating, “I would like to congratulate Roger, He’s laughing, he’s an a**hole, but it’s okay”, drawing laughter from the whole crowd, even Federer, who had a chuckle on his face.
After Wawrinka’s 2026 retirement announcement, the Indian Wells reposted the video, which the Swiss player later shared on his Instagram story, captioning “My Bad”.
On court, the Wawrinka-Federer rivalry was quite one-sided, as the 20-time Major champion won 23 of the 26 matches he played against his compatriot. However, two out of the three of Wawrinka’s victories came at high-profile matches such as the 2014 Monte-Carlo Masters final and the quarterfinal at the 2015 French Open. The two shared a special on-court moment as they clinched the doubles gold at the 2008 Olympics for their country.
Wawrinka was one of the few players who won multiple Majors during the dominant period of the famed trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. He put together three excellent Grand Slams campaigns, and what was noteworthy was that in each of those runs, he won against at least one of the “Big Three.
At the 2014 Australian Open, he won a five-set epic against Djokovic in the quarterfinals and then won against Nadal in four sets in the final.
More: Stan Wawrinka Pens Emotional Note as He Announces 2026 Retirement
At the 2015 French Open, Wawrinka stopped Federer in the quarterfinals and then stopped Djokovic from completing his career slam by beating him in the final. He beat the Serb once again when the two met at the US Open final in 2016.
With injuries and a steep decline in form, Wawrinka is no longer the force he once was as he often does not get direct entry into events, and either has to play qualifiers or depend on a wildcard to get into main draws. The Swiss’s last title win was back in Geneva in 2017, and the last time he reached a Tour-level final was back in 2023 in Croatia.