By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, January 2, 2026Photo credit: Getty
Stan Wawrinka’s 2026 farewell tour is already evoking mixed emotions.
The three-time Grand Slam champion said he’s grateful to play one final farewell season but realizes the emotion of bidding good-bye to the sport he loves and the fans who have supported him will make for some tearful tournament exits.
The 40-year-old Wawrinka launches his final season in Perth this week as both captain and player for Team Switzerland. Wawrinka said he knows parting will be painful, but takes pride in the fact he can still compete at the highest level at age 40.
“I always try to push my limit for me. Being an athlete is always doing the maximum you can, pushing your own limits, trying to reach the highest you can with your own ability,” Wawrinka told the media in Perth today. “Of course, it’s going to be difficult sometimes in tournaments. It’s going to be really emotional, because I know how I feel and how I am, and I love so much this sport, but in general, I’m really happy with my decision.
“I’m at peace with that. I’m happy to have this chance to still be able to play at that level at 40 years old. Like I say, hopefully I can get some good result this year.”
The man nicknamed Stanimal, now ranked No. 157, is one of only three men in history to defeat Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafa Nadal in Grand Slam play, joining Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas Berdych in achieving that awesome feat.
Former world No. 3 Wawrinka has previously said he’d like to win one more title—he won his last title before home fans at the 2017 Geneva and played his last Tour-level final at the 2023 Umag—and with 582 career victories to his credit, he’s 18 wins short of a 600th career win.
Still, Wawrinka said playing quality tennis and saying good-bye to fans who have shown him an outpouring of support on social media since he announced 2026 will be his last year on Tour are his primary goals.
“It’s always nice to receive so many message and support, of course. Like I say, for me, I’m passionate about the sport since ever,” Wawrinka said. “I really enjoy being on tour, traveling, playing in front of all those people around the world. That’s one of the reasons why I kept playing for so long. It’s to play in front of the fans.
“It’s, of course, amazing, but like I say, I announce it is going to be my last year, but I still have one full year of tennis. There’s a lot of tournaments to play. Yeah, hopefully I can enjoy that and get some good results.”
The man who partnered Roger Federer to lift Switzerland to its first Davis Cup championship left the door open for a 2027 United Cup return, strictly in the captain’s chair, based on how well the team performance this week.
“Let’s see. Let’s see how it goes,” Wawrinka said of his United Cup captaincy. “Let’s see first how we enjoy this week. Hopefully if we play well, if we leave Perth on a positive note, maybe I will come back as a captain.”
