Tennis fans and fellow players are paying tribute to Stan Wawrinka after the three-time grand slam champion announced 2026 will be the final year of his career. The 40-year-old from Switzerland took to social media on Friday night to announce the news that he’ll hang up the racquet after a 24-year professional career.
“Every book needs an ending. It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player. 2026 will be my last year on tour,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I still want to push my limits and finish this journey on the best note possible. I still have dreams in this sport. I’ve enjoyed every part of what tennis has given me, especially the emotions I feel playing in front of you. I’m looking forward to seeing you one more time, all around the world. One last push.”
Stan Wawrinka has won three grand slam titles and beat Novak Djokovic (L) in two major finals. Image: Getty
Wawrinka has won 16 ATP titles throughout his career, and reached as high as World No.3 in 2014. He managed to win his three grand slam titles when the ‘Big 3’ of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer were all at their peak.
He won the Australian Open in 2014, beating an injured Nadal in the final. He beat Djokovic in the final to win the French Open in 2015, and again when he won the US Open in 2016. He’s among only a handful of players to win a grand slam during the peak of the Big 3’s reign.
The 40-year-old is hoping to play a 20th Australian Open in January. He’s currently down at World No.157, meaning he hasn’t gained automatic entry into the Melbourne grand slam. However he’ll surely be granted a wildcard given he’s a former champion in the final year of his career.
Stan Wawrinka won the Australian Open in 2014. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Tennis world pays tribute to Stan Wawrinka
As well as his three majors, Wawrinka also won an Olympic gold medal with Federer in doubles in 2008. He also helped Switzerland win their maiden Davis Cup title alongside Federer in 2014.
He hasn’t reached the quarter-finals of a grand slam since 2020, with injuries and surgery seeing him fall down the rankings. He was knocked out in the first round of this year’s Australian Open by Lorenzo Sonego of Italy.
On social media, the tennis world has been paying tribute to ‘Stan the Man’. One person wrote: “Congratulations on a great career, hope to see you get WC at all the slams.” Another commented: “Thank you for every battle, every roar, every one handed backhand that made us stop what we were doing and watch. You never took the easy path, you fought legends on the biggest stages and won, and you did it your way. Won’t feel the same without you out there. Forever a legend.”