One of Tennis’ Greatest Careers Is Down to Its Final Days
Stan Wawrinka is 41 years old, ranked outside the world’s top 140, and playing on wild cards — but the story was never about the ranking. The three-time Grand Slam champion is in the final days of a 24-year professional career, and this week in Lyon he is playing the second-to-last tournament of his life before retiring at home in Basel later this month.
And because tennis has never made anything easy for Stan, the draw has handed him the hardest possible road.
A Winning Start in Lyon
Wawrinka opened his Lyon Open campaign on Wednesday with a victory over Spain’s Martin Landaluce, taking the first set 6-3 and closing out the match to the delight of the French crowd. It was a reminder that the famous one-handed backhand — widely considered one of the most beautiful shots the sport has ever seen — can still do damage.
The win sets up exactly the kind of match farewells are made of: a second-round clash with the tournament’s top seed.
The Nightmare Draw, Round by Round
Here is the mountain Wawrinka has to climb if this week is to become a fairytale:
Second round: Flavio Cobolli, the world-class Italian top seed who reached this year’s French Open final and received a first-round bye.
Quarterfinals: Fifth seed Brandon Nakashima or French qualifier Kyrian Jacquet — who has already caused a stir by knocking out former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.
Semifinals: Lorenzo Musetti or Shanghai sensation Valentin Vacherot are the likely opponents.
Final: Taylor Fritz, the American star playing as a wild card while chasing qualification for the ATP Finals, looms on the other side of the draw — with Tommy Paul also in his path.
For a 41-year-old with two knee surgeries and two foot surgeries behind him, it is a brutal sequence. But if any player has built a career on beating the odds, it is this one.
The Man Who Beat the Big Three at Their Peak
Younger fans may need reminding of just how great Wawrinka was. In an era ruled by Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, he crashed the party three times: the 2014 Australian Open (beating Nadal in the final), Roland Garros 2015, and the 2016 US Open — the last two by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. He reached world No. 3, won Olympic gold in doubles alongside Roger Federer in 2008, and lifted the Davis Cup with Switzerland in 2014.
This farewell season has not all been smooth: the US Open initially refused him a wild card for his final Grand Slam, sparking fan outrage, before he was finally given a place and one last New York goodbye. Lyon and Basel are the tour stops that remain.
The Last Dance at Home in Basel
Wawrinka’s final ATP tournament will be the Swiss Indoors in Basel — on home soil, in front of his own people. Stars including Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz are confirmed for the event, but every ticket holder knows who the week will really belong to. Expect tears.
One Last Backhand: A Geneva Goodbye With Federer
And still, Basel will not be the very end. On December 19, Wawrinka will host a farewell celebration event, “One Last Backhand,” at Palexpo in Geneva — and the guest list is the stuff of tennis dreams: Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Gael Monfils are all set to join him. Announcing the event, Wawrinka said: “I wanted to create something truly special so that we could enjoy one final evening together.” For Monfils, whose own farewell season ended abruptly, the night carries extra emotion too.
Quick Answers
When is Stan Wawrinka retiring? His final ATP tournament is the Swiss Indoors in Basel later this month, followed by his “One Last Backhand” farewell event in Geneva on December 19.
How many Grand Slam titles has Wawrinka won? Three — the Australian Open (2014), Roland Garros (2015), and the US Open (2016).
Who does Wawrinka play next in Lyon? Top seed Flavio Cobolli, after beating Martin Landaluce in the first round.