Stan Wawrinka is one of the most adored players in tennis right now, and the ATP Tour will be worse off after he retires at the end of 2026.
After all, ever since announcing that this would be his final year as a professional, the 41-year-old has been thrilling crowds with his timeless quality.
What most come to see with Wawrinka is his patented one-handed backhand though, with supporters desperate to catch one final glimpse of one of the most iconic shots in tennis history.
And yet, despite how celebrated this patented backhand is, it’s undeniably a dying art form.
Stan Wawrinka, speaking earlier today whilst still in Monaco, discussed the future of this shot with Tennis Channel.
Stan Wawrinka discusses the future of the one-handed backhand
Asked if he thinks the one-handed backhand could begin to die out in his absence, as he joins Roger Federer in retirement, Wawrinka was certain in his answer.
“There will always be one-handed backhands,” he began. “Always.”
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The Swiss superstar continued: “Always a minority, that’s for sure, but if you look, you have Musetti, one of the best one-handed backhands in the world right now. I love to watch him play.
“Of course, the game is really physical now. Players play really hard from both sides now.
“So, of course, it’s easier to get the two-handed backhand. I think when you start, especially when you’re younger, but you will always see some one-handed backhand at the top of the game.”
Wawrinka spoke after losing his final Monte Carlo Masters match earlier this week, and it was nice to see him still in Monaco enjoying the environment days after his defeat.
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Then, later on in that same interview, Wawrinka was asked what was next.
His answer was thorough, going into detail about his schedule all throughout the clay-court season.
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He claimed: “I’m going to Barcelona next week. Then hopefully Rome qualies, probably. Geneva, hopefully French [Open] we’ll see.
“But yeah, I’m trying to play the full year because as I say, it’s my last year, but I’m not playing just to say goodbye to tournaments. I’m a competitor.
“For me, it’s tough to lose a match and then get something on the court. That’s not the moment I want, but I enjoy it because the fans, they’re here, they’ve been amazing, especially here again, they’ve been trying to push me during the match, so I really enjoyed that part and probably, like I said, I can win a few matches this year, try to finish my career in the top 100 will be a dream.”
