Stan Wawrinka names his four favorites to win the Dubai title after losing to Daniil Medvedev

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Stan Wawrinka lost to Daniil Medvedev, 2-6, 3-6, in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

After beating Benjamin Hassan in his opener, Wawrinka came up short against Medvedev.

The match was Wawrinka’s last in Dubai, as he prepares to retire from tennis at the end of the season.

Wawrinka was celebrated after the match, as the Dubai Tennis Championships recognised the career achievements of the 2016 champion.

Why do you think Stan Wawrinka was never considered to be on the same level as Andy Murray?

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The Swiss star shared a moment with the crowd after the match before heading inside to conduct his press conference.

There, he named his favorites to win the title following his exit.

Stan Wawrinka names Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and two others as his Dubai title favorites

“It’s tough,” he said.

“I think it’s a packed draw, some really good players.

Top eight seeds at the Dubai Tennis Championships

• [1] Felix Auger-Aliassime
• [2] Alexander Bublik
• [3] Daniil Medvedev
• [4] Jack Draper
• [5] Andrey Rublev
• [6] Jakub Mensik
• [7] Karen Khachanov
• [8] Jiri Lehecka

“With Danny [Medvedev], of course. Felix [Auger-Aliassime] is there, one of the favorites.

“You have [Alexander] Bublik, who likes these conditions.

“So, honestly, I cannot really pick one.

“I think with [Jiri] Lehecka also, there are some great matchups to watch tennis-wise.

“It will depend a bit on who plays who.”

Wawrinka named Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Bublik, and Jiri Lehecka as his four favorites to win the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships.

All four players made it safely through to the second round.

Title favorites at the Dubai Tennis Championships so far

• 1R – Daniil Medvedev defeated Junchen Shang
• 2R – Daniil Medvedev defeated Stan Wawrinka
• 1R – Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Zhang Zhizhen
• 2R – Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
• 1R – Jiri Lehecka defeated Luca Nardi
• 2R – Jiri Lehecka defeated Pablo Carreno Busta
• 1R – Alexander Bublik defeated Jan-Lennard Struff
• 2R – Alexander Bublik lost to Tallon Griekspoor

But only three of the four made the quarterfinals.

Kazakhstan’s Bublik lost to Tallon Griekspoor in the second round.

How Stan Wawrinka’s favorites have performed in 2026

With one of Wawrinka’s favorites eliminated, it’s up to Medvedev, Auger-Aliassime, and Lehecka to make his prediction come true.

• QF – Daniil Medvedev vs Jenson Brooksby
• QF – Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Jiri Lehecka

Only time will tell who will emerge victorious in Dubai, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

What’s next for Stan Wawrinka after Dubai defeat?

Wawrinka continues to impress in 2026.

At 41, the three-time Grand Slam champion keeps on winning matches, rolling back the years whenever he steps on court.

Stan Wawrinka’s record in 2026

Since the United Cup, Wawrinka is 5-4 on the ATP Tour and has only lost to the very best players in men’s tennis.

Defeats to Taylor Fritz, Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur, and Medvedev are respectable, to say the least.

There’s plenty to look forward to if you’re Wawrinka, but where is he going next?

It’s yet to be confirmed, but you’d expect the 41-year-old to compete at Indian Wells.

He would need a wild card to avoid the qualifying tournament, but if the first few months of the year are anything to go by, that won’t be an issue.

And if he is to play Indian Wells, it only makes sense that he’ll play the Miami Open too.

But how has he performed at the ‘Sunshine Double’ events?

Wawrinka is a former finalist at Indian Wells (Lost to Roger Federer in 2017).

He has, however, struggled in Miami, winning just 47% of his matches in Florida.

Whether he can improve upon that record on his last visit to the Sunshine State remains to be seen.

The 2026 Indian Wells tournament begins on Wednesday, March 4.