‘One Last Push’: Stan ‘the man’ Wawrinka announces 2026 will be his last year

It is the announcement we knew was coming, yet the finality of it still lands with a heavy thud.

Stan ‘ the Man’ Wawrinka — the great disruptor of the Big Three era, and the owner of the one of the most devastating one-handed backhands in history — has confirmed that the end is in sight.

On Friday, the Swiss legend took to social media to deliver a message that was equal parts melancholy and defiant. 2026 will be his final year on the professional tour.

“ONE LAST PUSH,” Wawrinka wrote, framing the decision with the clarity of a man who has given everything to the sport. “Every book needs an ending. It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player.”

For those of us who have followed his trajectory, this feels like the closing of a distinct and golden parenthesis in tennis history.

Wawrinka’s career wasn’t just about the numbers, though the numbers are Hall of Fame worthy. Three Grand Slam titles, 16 tour-level trophies, a Davis Cup triumph, and Olympic gold in doubles alongside Roger Federer. It was about how he won, and who he had to go through to do it.

I remember clearly when the shift happened. For years, Wawrinka was a solid top-20 player, living in the colossal shadow of his compatriot Federer.

But after linking up with coach Magnus Norman in 2013 at age 28, something clicked. Federer dubbed him “Diesel” because he took a while to get going, but once that engine was warm, he could flatten anyone.

And he did. In an era where Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic held a suffocating grip on the majors, Wawrinka didn’t just sneak through an open door; he kicked the door down. He remains the only player to have defeated the top-ranked player in the world in the final of all three of his major victories.

He bludgeoned Nadal to win the 2014 Australian Open. He out-gunned Djokovic in the 2016 US Open final. But for me, the defining “Stanimal” performance remains the 2015 French Open.

That day in Paris, wearing those infamous red, white, and grey plaid shorts, which Djokovic later joked were the secret to his power, Wawrinka played perhaps the single greatest match of the decade.

He denied Djokovic a calendar Grand Slam and ended the Serb’s 28-match winning streak with a display of raw power that simply overwhelmed the best defender in the world. Wawrinka later called it the “match of my life,” and frankly, no one who watched it would disagree.

What made Stan so beloved, however, wasn’t just the titles. It was his humanity.

He wasn’t a robotic winning machine. He was the guy who admitted to crippling nerves, confessing he needed a stiff drink right before walking out for that Roland Garros final. He was the guy with the “dad bod” who could outlast the fittest athletes on earth.

He wore his philosophy on his skin, quite literally. The Samuel Beckett quote tattooed on his forearm—“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better”—became a mantra for a career that peaked late and required immense resilience.

Now 40, Wawrinka has spent the last few seasons grinding on the Challenger Tour, fighting to rebuild his ranking after knee surgeries. While some critics questioned why a three-time major champion would slog through lower-tier events, his peers understood.

“I really admire him… going to the Challenger level,” Djokovic said earlier this year, praising Wawrinka’s “champion spirit.” It was never about the money or the glory at that stage; it was about the pure love of the battle.

So, here we are. The farewell tour is set. Wawrinka will begin his final lap in Perth at the United Cup on January 2nd. He currently sits fourth on the list of match wins among active players (582), chasing Gael Monfils, and will likely be hoping for one last main-draw appearance at Melbourne Park.