He is the only 40-year-old ranked in the ATP top 1000 and beat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to win three Grand Slams

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Despite the belief of many that tennis is a young man’s game, some continue to prove that to be anything but the truth.

At 38 years of age, Serbian legend Novak Djokovic has qualified for three Grand Slam semifinals in 2025 and currently resides in the top ten.

He isn’t the only ATP Tour veteran to have impressed in 2025, as another 38-year-old, Gael Monfils, won his 13th title earlier this year.

During Wimbledon, 36-year-old Marin Cilic and 38-year-old Fabio Fognini both made headlines, showing off their talents against their younger rivals.

There is, however, one player older than all the above who continues to grind out results and has Grand Slam final victories over Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to his name.

Stan Wawrinka is the oldest player in the ATP top 1000 and has won three Grand Slams

Swiss star Stan Wawrinka is the only 40-year-old currently ranked inside the top 1000 on the ATP Tour.

Wawrinka has enjoyed a legendary tennis career, but he took quite some time to get going, and is well known as one of the sport’s ‘great latecomers’.

Failing to qualify for the quarterfinals at any of his first 22 Grand Slam tournaments, it seemed unlikely that Wawrinka would ever become an elite player.

However, refusing to give up, Wawrinka edged closer to Grand Slam success, slowly but surely.

Quarterfinal appearances at the 2010 US Open, 2011 Australian Open, and 2013 French Open were followed by a run to the last four at the 2013 US Open.

Finishing 2013 on a high, Wawrinka carried that momentum forward to 2014, where he enjoyed one of the best fortnights of his tennis career.

Returning to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Wawrinka took on Djokovic, defeating the Serb in a five-set thriller 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7.

Playing his second career major semifinal, Wawrinka advanced to the final with a four-set win over Czechia’s Tomas Berdych.

Standing between Wawrinka and a maiden Grand Slam title was Spain’s Nadal, then a 13-time Grand Slam champion.

Becoming a major champion for the first time aged 28, Wawrinka defeated an injury-hit Nadal in four sets to lift the title in Melbourne.

Hungry for more Grand Slam success, Wawrinka didn’t have to wait long for his second major final, as he advanced to the Championship match at the 2015 French Open.

Competing as the eighth seed, just as he did in Melbourne one year earlier, the Swiss star made his way through to the final without too much trouble.

There, he took on Djokovic, who was desperately looking to win the title at Roland Garros to complete his Career Grand Slam.

Unfortunately for Djokovic, Wawrinka had other ideas, as he battled back from a set down to lift his second Grand Slam title high on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Now a two-time major winner, Wawrinka had established himself as one of the best players in the men’s game and was one to look out for at all the big tournaments.

At the 2016 US Open, Wawrinka qualified for his third Grand Slam final in three years, where he played Djokovic in a Roland Garros rematch.

It was a case of Deja Vu for the Serb, as he let a one-set lead slip again, allowing Wawrinka to win his third and final major title.

The Swiss star lost his perfect record in Slam finals one year later, losing out to Nadal at the French Open, but surely won’t have too many complaints about his major tally.

During the era of the ‘big three’, Wawrinka was one of just five players to win multiple Grand Slam titles.

• Novak Djokovic – 24
• Rafael Nadal – 22
• Roger Federer – 20
• Andy Murray – 3
• Stan Wawrinka – 3

He may not be competing for Slams anymore, but Wawrinka continues to ply his trade on the ATP and Challenger Tours.

How has Stan Wawrinka performed in 2025 so far?

Wawrinka has played the majority of his tennis on the Challenger Tour in 2025 and has enjoyed his fair share of success.

His best result came on the clay, at the Aix-en-Provence event, where he narrowly missed out on the title, losing in a third-set tiebreaker to Borna Coric.

Continuing to pick up results aged 40, Wawrinka remains a top 200 player, and one of the top-ranked players over the age of 35.

Currently sitting 153rd in the Live Rankings, only time will tell if Wawrinka can make a stunning return to the top 100.

The Swiss veteran recently lost his first-round match at the Swiss Open and is expected to return to action on North American hard courts before too long.