NEW YORK, Sept 1 — Former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka bade farewell to Grand Slam tennis on Monday, losing in straight sets to Italian Matteo Berrettini in the opening round at Flushing Meadows.

Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion who will retire after 2026, fought neck and neck with the Italian for the first two sets before his level dropped in a quickly-played third set. The score was 7-6, 7-6,6-0.

Cheers of “Let’s Go Stan!” and “We love you, Stan” emanated from the crowd.

But Wawrinka — alone with Andy Murray as the only players to win multiple Grand Slams in a period dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — couldn’t mount a comeback.

The match ended with a Berrettini drop shot. Following an embrace of the Berrettini at the net,  Berrettini saluted Wawrinka, drawing loud applause.

“This opportunity to finish here was really meaningful for myself,” said Wawrinka, who became a bit teary in a short speech following a brief on-court celebration of his career.

“I’m going to miss it for sure,” he added after the match on the Grandstand stadium, the third biggest court at the US Open.

Wawrinka, currently ranked 127th, was only able to play at the US Open after being granted a late wildcard when original wildcard recipient Patrick Kypson withdrew with injury.

Tennis fan Ryan Loar said he was disappointed with the original wildcard snub by the US Tennis Association but praised tournament organizers for the on-court celebration of Wawrinka’s career, which included a video of his greatest moments at the New York Grand Slam.

The crowd cheered loudly at a replay of match point from the 2016 final when Wawrinka lifted his arms after an overhit return from favorite Djokovic gave the Swiss player the trophy.

“It’s just an underdog story,” Loar said. “It’s so fun.”

Loar was part of a group of eight San Francisco-based fans donning gray “Stan the Man” t-shirts the group ordered after the wildcard was announced and had delivered to their hotel.

“He seems like an ordinary guy. Dad bod,” said Dave Kaval, another in the group. “With that look, it’s amazing. He’s like the most relatable tennis player.” — AFP