Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka will retire at the end of the 2026 season.
The legendary Swiss star is approaching the end of his ATP Tour career.
His farewell tour has taken him to Melbourne for one last Australian Open tournament.
He will play Serbia’s Laslo Djere in the first round, a somewhat winnable match against the world number 91.
Who has the most difficult Australian Open draw?
During his pre-tournament press conference, Wawrinka spoke openly about the end of his career and shared when he decided that 2026 would be his final year.
Stan Wawrinka ‘suddenly’ knew 2026 would be his final season at the end of last year
“Yeah, end of last year, between October, November, December, that I had things in my mind,” said Wawrinka.
“I think during last year I didn’t know. Like, I wanted to keep going, that’s for sure. I was happy playing. And I’m still [happy playing].
“But, suddenly, at the end of last year, I found out that it was quite clear that next year should be my last year. It was not at all a hard decision. It was quite easy. I’m super happy with this decision. I’m at peace with that.”
Wawrinka is excited about what is to come in 2026, having made an impressive start.
“I’m looking forward to the year,” he said.
“One year of tennis, it’s a lot of tennis, it’s really long, and [I’m] not getting younger.
“I’m also happy to try to play this year by being still competitive, by playing well.
“I didn’t want to not know when I will stop to suddenly get injured or things like that or lose the level of the game.
“I’m still passionate about the game. I’m still fully focused on it. That’s [how] I felt it was the right way.”
The 40-year-old captained Team Switzerland to the United Cup final earlier this month.
While he only won one match at the event, Wawrinka was competitive throughout, showing that he can still challenge some of the world’s best players, despite his age.
- 2026 United Cup GS – Stan Wawrinka defeated Arthur Rinderknech, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6
- 2026 United Cup GS – Stan Wawrinka lost to Flavio Cobolli, 4-6, 7-6, 6-7
- 2026 United Cup QF – Stan Wawrinka lost to Sebastian Baez, 5-7, 4-6
- 2026 United Cup SF – Stan Wawrinka lost to Zizou Bergs, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6
- 2026 United Cup F – Stan Wawrinka lost to Hubert Hurkacz, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6
Wawrinka won at least a set in four of the five matches he played at the United Cup.
Worryingly for Wawrinka, though, he lost in a deciding third set on three separate occasions.
At 40 years old, his age begins to show during longer matches, especially when playing younger and fitter opponents.
That’s a real concern heading into the Australian Open, where Wawrinka will need to play best-of-five sets.
Wawrinka hasn’t won a five-set match in 564 days, when he advanced to the second round of Wimbledon in 2024.
Stan Wawrinka’s last 10 five-set matches
| Match | Opponent | Result | Score | Sets won |
| 2025 French Open – 1R | Jacob Fearnley | LOSS | 6-7, 3-6, 2-6 | 0 |
| 2025 Australian Open – 1R | Lorenzo Sonego | LOSS | 4-6, 7-5, 5-7, 5-7 | 1 |
| 2024 US Open – 1R | Mattia Bellucci | LOSS | 4-6, 6-7, 3-6 | 0 |
| 2024 Wimbledon – 2R | Gael Monfils | LOSS | 6-7, 4-6, 6-7 | 0 |
| 2024 Wimbledon – 1R | Charles Broom | WIN | 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 | 3 |
| 2024 French Open – 2R | Pavel Kotov | LOSS | 6-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 | 1 |
| 2024 French Open – 1R | Andy Murray | WIN | 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 | 3 |
| 2024 Australian Open – 1R | Adrian Mannarino | LOSS | 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 0-6 | 2 |
| 2023 US Open – 3R | Jannik Sinner | LOSS | 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 | 1 |
| 2023 US Open – 2R | Tomas Martin Etcheverry | WIN | 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 | 3 |
It remains to be seen if he can win a five-set match when he begins his final Australian Open campaign.
Stan Wawrinka shares how he is still competing at 40 years old
Wawrinka is the oldest player currently ranked inside the world’s top 1,000.
During the press conference, Wawrinka was asked how he has managed to stay competitive while his former rivals retired from tennis.
“I didn’t stay much at the top the last few years. You know, I’m 130 in the world,” he said.
You can bring one tennis legend out of retirement. Who do you pick and why?
“For me, it was always about myself. Like, you of course have to face opponents. But at the end of the day, I always wanted to be the best version of a tennis player I could be.
“It’s always about pushing my own limits, tennis-wise, physical part, mentally trying to really achieve the best I could.
“Then you have to face a different kind of player, a different kind of generation. You don’t focus on the player you’re going to face; you focus on yourself.”
Wawrinka will hope that attitude serves him well during his final year on tour.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
