Stan Wawrinka is set to become one of the oldest players to compete in an ATP Masters 1000 main draw.
The Swiss legend has defied any stereotype concerning age throughout the duration of 2025, most recently impressing on his way to an ATP Challenger Tour final in Rennes, France.
On Wednesday, Wawrinka was handed a wildcard spot for the Shanghai Masters alongside a number of Chinese talents, such as Shang Juncheng and Zhang Zhizhen.
Wawrinka’s return to the Masters 1000 stage will certainly delight fans of the Swiss legend, who has won three Grand Slam titles during his career.
However, despite his age, Wawrinka is not the oldest player to have competed in the main draw of an ATP Masters 1000 event.
Ivo Karlovic played in an ATP Masters 1000 event while aged 42
Former world number 14 Ivo Karlovic became the oldest player to compete in the main draw of a Masters 1000 event when he competed at the 2021 Indian Wells tournament aged 42 years and 218 days .
In fact, Karlovic also became the oldest winner of a Masters 1000 main draw match, after defeating Canada’s Brayden Schnur in the first round.
The Croat went on to lose in the second round to Emilio Gomez, 6-3, 7-6.
As per OptaAce, American tennis legend Jimmy Connors and Stan Wawrinka are Karlovic’s two closest rivals regarding this matter.
Connors competed in a tournament equivalent to a Masters 1000 event while aged 40 years and 191 days, while Stan Wawrinka will be aged 40 years and 168 days when the Shanghai Masters begins on October 1.
When Ivo Karlovic defeated Roger Federer in a Masters 1000 event
Standing at 6 feet 11 inches, Karlovic is recognised as having one of the best serves in tennis history, with his opponents rarely offered the opportunity to engineer a break-point.
At the 2008 Cincinnati Masters, Karlovic’s qualities as a tennis player were put to full use during his upset win against Roger Federer.
As the number one seed and defending Cincinnati Open champion, Federer was a strong favourite against Karlovic.
However, the big-serving Croat defied the odds, defeating Federer 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in the third round.
Karlovic went on to reach the semi-finals, before losing to Andy Murray in straight sets.
Speaking to Bola VIP in March 2025, Karlovic discussed his victory against Federer.
He said: “I was really happy. In that match with Federer, I was winning a lot of points on my second serve.
“He was struggling with returning them. That was the difference.”
