Stan Wawrinka’s playing career will come to an end in 2026.
The Swiss superstar made the announcement on Friday evening, describing his final season on Tour as ‘one last push.’
Wawrinka, a winner of three Grand Slam titles, is one of the greatest players of his generation alongside Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
The 40-year-old has produced some marvellous performances over the years, particularly on the biggest stages: he is the only player with three Grand Slams to his name to have beaten the world number one in each major final.
What is your best memory of Stan Wawrinka?
Wawrinka beat Rafael Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final, and Novak Djokovic in the 2015 French Open final and 2016 US Open final.
The Swiss maestro was a consistent challenger to the ‘big three’s’ dominance, as demonstrated by his inclusion on an exclusive list of players.
Stan is one of the four players to have defeated each of the ‘Big Three’ at Grand Slam tournaments
As per OptaAce, Stan Wawrinka is one of the four players to have defeated each of the ‘Big Three’ at major events.
The big three are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – three players who dominated the men’s game for over 15 years, winning 60 Grand Slams combined.
As mentioned earlier, Wawrinka defeated Djokovic and Nadal in Grand Slam finals.
Wawrinka defeated Federer once in a Grand Slam, doing so in the quarter-finals of the 2015 French Open. Wawrinka won the contest 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.
The other three players to achieve the same feat as Wawrinka are Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Murray is a three-time Grand Slam champion. Berdych and Tsonga both reached Grand Slam finals during their career, at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships and 2008 Australian Open, respectively.
‘My plan was always to keep going’
After exiting the 2024 Swiss Indoors tournament, Wawrinka assured his supporters that he would continue playing into 2025.
What is your bold prediction for the 2026 tennis season?
“My plan was always to keep going,” Stan said during a post-match press conference.
“The way I feel, both on the tennis court and physically, how well I train, the level of play I achieve… But, of course, there’s also the reality of results and rankings.
“If I no longer have the opportunity to play in major tournaments that I enjoy, that could affect my motivation. So far, that hasn’t been the case.”
This year, the ‘Stanimal’ became the fourth player aged over 40 years old to win multiple matches at ATP-level events after Jimmy Connors, Feliciano Lopez and Ivo Karlovic.
Wawrinka, who turns 41 in March, is set to play his first tournament of 2026 at the Auckland Open.
