Stan Wawrinka has announced that the 2026 season will be his last on the ATP Tour.
The Swiss star, a winner of three Grand Slam titles, made the announcement on his social media channels on Friday evening.
The competitive fire has never ceased to exist in Wawrinka; the former world number three is now 40 years old and has been competing on the ATP Challenger Tour for much of this year.
Wawrinka is one of the best players of his generation – an icon who frequently challenged Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for the biggest prizes in the sport.
What is your best memory of Stan Wawrinka?
Wawrinka will forever be remembered as an icon of the sport, one who achieved something extraordinary when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2016 US Open final.
Stan Wawrinka is the only ATP player to win all three of his Grand Slam titles by defeating the world number one in the final
Of all the ATP players who have won three Grand Slam singles in history, Stan Wawrinka is the only one to have defeated the world number one in the final on all three occasions.
Wawrinka won his first Slam at the 2014 Australian Open. In the final, the Swiss legend defeated world number one Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
By winning the title, Wawrinka became the first man outside of the ‘Big Four’ [Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Murray] to win a Grand Slam title since Juan Martin del Potro at the 2009 US Open.
A year later, Wawrinka lifted his second Grand Slam title at the French Open after defeating world number one Novak Djokovic 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 in the final.
In 2016, Wawrinka won his third and final major title. He won the US Open, beating Djokovic 6–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–3.
Remarkably, Wawrinka was only a point away from exiting the tournament in the third round when he faced off against Dan Evans.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
Stan Wawrinka’s retirement announcement
In a post on X [Twitter] Wawrinka announced that he will be concluding his career in 2026.
He said: “One Last Push. Every book needs an ending. It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player
“2026 will be my last year on tour.
“I still want to push my limits and finish this journey on the best note possible. I still have dreams in this sport. I’ve enjoyed every part of what tennis has given me, especially the emotions I feel playing in front of you.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you one more time, all around the world.”
Wawrinka is set to begin his final campaign at the Auckland Classic in New Zealand. The tournament is set to begin on January 5.
It remains to be seen whether Wawrinka – ranked 167 on the ATP Tour – will receive a wildcard for the Australian Open.
