As the 2026 tennis season commences, one of the sport's most revered warriors, Stan Wawrinka, has confirmed this will be his final year on the professional tour. The 40-year-old Swiss, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is embarking on a farewell journey that began with a characteristically gritty, near-three-hour battle against 23-year-old Flavio Cobolli in Melbourne, ultimately decided by a tense final-set tie-break.
A Legacy Forged in the Crucible of the Big Three
Stan Wawrinka's career will be remembered as one of the most remarkable in modern tennis history. He carved out his legacy during the sport's most dominant era, achieving the near-impossible by winning three Grand Slam titles while competing against the legendary trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. His victories were never flukes; each major triumph involved defeating the world number one in the final.
His breakthrough came at the 2014 Australian Open, where he stunned Rafael Nadal to claim his first major. He then dismantled Novak Djokovic to win the 2015 French Open and repeated the feat at the 2016 US Open. "At the end, I really believe that I squeezed the lemon until the last drop," Wawrinka reflects. "And that, for me, is the most important, because that's the only way I can leave this sport without any regrets."
The Unwavering Passion of a Late Bloomer
What sets Wawrinka apart is a superpower not of sheer talent alone, but of enduring passion. For years, he was a fixture in the world's top 20, but a step below the very elite, harbouring significant doubts. A pivotal moment arrived in the 2013 Australian Open fourth round, in an epic five-set loss to Djokovic. "This match was a turning point in my career," he admits. "It gave me self-confidence and self-belief that I was ready and that I could fight with the top players in the world."
Now ranked 156th and the oldest player in the top 1,000, that belief and motivation remain undimmed. He continues to compete fiercely, even at ATP Challenger events, driven by a love for the journey. "I always enjoyed this journey... I achieved way more than I could dream," he says. "The most important thing is to always fight, always give the maximum."
Beyond Federer's Shadow and Forging His Own Path
Wawrinka's career was long viewed through the prism of his more celebrated compatriot, Roger Federer. He often struggled on court against him, and off it, many saw him merely as Federer's Davis Cup teammate. However, Wawrinka chose to focus on the positives of that relationship. "I got only positive by arriving [after Federer]," he states, crediting their practice sessions and team collaborations for pushing him to improve.
Their partnership faced a public test after a heated 2014 ATP Finals semi-final, involving words with Federer's wife, Mirka. Yet, displaying remarkable professionalism, they united less than a week later to lead Switzerland to its first Davis Cup title. "The next morning for me was a clear goal," Wawrinka recalls. "We have the Davis Cup final. We did it together."
As his final season unfolds, starting with a wildcard at the Australian Open, Wawrinka knows fairytale endings are rare. More painful defeats are likely, but so too are inspirational moments. For a player who reached the pinnacle of his sport through sheer force of will and one of the most devastating single-handed backhands ever seen, the fact he still feels every victory and loss so deeply, after all these years, is perhaps his greatest triumph of all.
