Stan Wawrinka is entering his second Grand Slam of the season at the French Open, and will play Britain’s Jacob Fearnley in the first round.
Wawrinka made his debut at the tournament in 2005 and won the title in 2015, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final to hold the trophy aloft on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Before the Roland Garros draw, he was awarded a wildcard for this year’s tournament, marking his 20th appearance at the event.
The 40-year-old isn’t done yet on the ATP Tour, and is still in search of titles as the oldest player inside the top 1000.
He spoke on his longevity ahead of the French Open and explained what is so unusual about his situation.
Stan Wawrinka says what is ‘not normal’ about his game ahead of the French Open
On media day before the start of the major, Wawrinka discussed what it takes to still play at 40 years old.
He said: “I think it’s a whole thing. It’s physically, it’s mentally, it’s tennis-wise too; it’s confidence.
“It’s the difficulty of being an athlete. We have a deadline quite simply and the older we get the more difficult it becomes. The more years accumulated on our body constantly pushing the limits create small injuries that make each day more and more difficult.
“Today, compared to my age, compared to where I am, I’m very happy with my shape. Physically, tennis-wise I feel good. I would like to have better results, but overall I think I’m doing what I need to do.
“I think that playing at 40 is not normal either, so I am aware of where I am today. I’m aware of the difficulties that this brings, but on the other hand, it’s a great challenge to try and still perform at this age.”
Stan Wawrinka’s 2025 season on the ATP Tour at 40 years old
Wawrinka could become the oldest player to ever win an ATP title in the unlikely event that he emerges victorious at Roland Garros.
He has struggled in his pursuit of history so far this season, having only made it out of the first round of a tour-level event once in 2025.
The three-time Grand Slam champion’s sole triumph was against Timofey Skatov at the Bucharest Open, where he came out on top in a third-set tiebreak to advance to the second round.
At Challenger level, Wawrinka made the final in Aix-en-Provence, but was ultimately overcome by Borna Coric.
Heading into yet another major, he will seek a second tour-level victory in his clash with Fearnley.
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