Stan Wawrinka at the Wimbledon Championships (2026 Update)
Stan Wawrinka is one of the greatest tennis players of his generation. Known for his powerful game and his iconic one-handed backhand, the Swiss star has won three Grand Slam titles in his historic career: the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open in 2015, and the US Open in 2016. However, there is one Grand Slam trophy that always stayed just out of his reach: Wimbledon.
In June 2026, the 41-year-old veteran stepped onto the lush grass of the All England Club for the very last time. It marked the final chapter of a 21-year relationship with the world’s most famous grass-court tournament. Though Wimbledon was statistically his toughest major tournament, Wawrinka’s battles on the lawns of London earned him deep respect from fans all over the world.
The Ultimate Curtain Call: Wimbledon 2026
Stan Wawrinka’s final match at Wimbledon was nothing short of heroic. Playing under a wildcard entry, the former World No. 3 drew the powerful Italian star Matteo Berrettini in the very first round. Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist himself, knew he was stepping into a emotional battle on No. 1 Court.
The match lasted four hours and 19 minutes, turning into an instant classic. Amazingly, both men served so well that there was only one break of serve for each player during the entire match. The fate of the match rested entirely on thin margins, decided by four consecutive tie-breaks.
Wawrinka showed the heart of a champion, taking the first set in a tense tie-break. The crowd inside No. 1 Court rose to their feet, cheering wildly for the legendary Swiss player. As the day turned to evening, officials closed the retractable roof, magnifying the thunderous cheers of the fans.
Wawrinka pushed his younger opponent to the absolute limit. In the second set, the two players engaged in an extraordinary 34-point tie-break, which Berrettini barely managed to win 18-16. Despite saving multiple set points and fighting through long, exhausting rallies, Wawrinka eventually fell with a final score of 6-7(7), 7-6(16), 7-6(7), 7-6(5).
When the final ball landed out, the crowd gave Wawrinka a long, emotional standing ovation. Berrettini refused to celebrate heavily, choosing instead to lead the applause for the departing legend. At the net, the two men shared a warm embrace. In his post-match interview, Berrettini spoke for tennis fans everywhere: “He’s a legend and he showed it today. It was a big honor to play against him here.”
Early Steps on the Grass (2005–2007)
To appreciate Wawrinka’s final farewell, we have to look back to where it all began. Wawrinka made his Wimbledon debut in 2005 as a promising 20-year-old. His heavy, baseline-focused game was originally built for the slow clay courts of Europe, meaning the fast, low-bouncing grass of London required a massive adjustment.
Despite his lack of experience on the surface, Wawrinka surprised many by reaching the third round in his debut year. He showed early signs of his famous competitive fighting spirit before losing to intermediate grass experts.
However, the next two years brought harsh reality checks. In both 2006 and 2007, Wawrinka suffered disappointing first-round exits. These early losses highlighted how difficult it was for players with long, powerful swing shapes to timing the ball perfectly on slick grass. It became clear that mastering Wimbledon would be a lifelong project for the Swiss star.
Rising Up the Ranks and the Historic 2009 Roof Match
Between 2008 and 2013, Wawrinka steadily improved his game, transforming from a solid top-20 player into a regular threat at big events. This growth showed in his Wimbledon results.
In 2008, Wawrinka reached the fourth round at SW19 for the first time. He repeated this achievement in 2009, a year that earned him a permanent place in Wimbledon history books. In 2009, Centre Court debuted its brand-new, multi-million-dollar retractable roof to shield players from the frequent London rain. Wawrinka found himself playing British superstar Andy Murray in the first-ever full match played entirely under a closed roof at Wimbledon.
The environment inside the closed stadium was electric. Wawrinka and Murray traded heavy blows late into the night. Wawrinka pushed Murray to five grueling sets under the bright indoor lights before finally losing. Even though he did not win the match, the spectacular quality of tennis proved that Wawrinka could play elite tennis on grass.
Following that peak, Wawrinka entered a strange slump at the All England Club. Between 2010 and 2013, he struggled to find consistency on the surface, suffering three first-round losses in four years. The grass courts continued to test his patience.
The Golden Era: Back-to-Back Quarterfinals (2014–2015)
The mid-2010s marked the peak of Wawrinka’s career. Reaching peak fitness and hiring coach Magnus Norman, Wawrinka unlocked a dangerous mental toughness. He began winning Grand Slams, regularly taking down prime members of the “Big Three” (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic).
This golden form extended to the lawns of Wimbledon, resulting in his two best career finishes at the event.
2014: The Swiss Derby Against Federer
Fresh off his maiden Grand Slam victory at the 2014 Australian Open, Wawrinka arrived in London full of confidence. He powered through the draw, dropping very few sets on his way to his first-ever Wimbledon quarterfinal. There, he met his close friend and countryman, Roger Federer.
Federer was an eight-time Wimbledon champion and the undisputed king of grass. Wawrinka fought bravely, taking the opening set with sharp, aggressive baseline winners. However, Federer’s vast experience on grass eventually won out, and Wawrinka lost in four highly competitive sets.
2015: Heartbreak Against Gasquet
In 2015, Wawrinka arrived at Wimbledon just weeks after stunning Novak Djokovic to win the French Open. He was playing the absolute best tennis of his life. He swept through the first four rounds of the tournament without dropping a single set, looking like a true title contender.
In the quarterfinals, he faced Frenchman Richard Gasquet in a match dubbed the “Battle of the Backhands.” Both players possessed beautiful, elegant one-handed backhands, and they put on a shot-making masterclass. The match went to a deciding fifth set.
Wawrinka fought back from a break down late in the final set, but Gasquet managed to break Wawrinka’s serve in the twentieth game of the set, winning 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9. Years later, Wawrinka admitted that this loss was one of the biggest regrets of his entire career, as he felt he had the form required to win the entire tournament that year.
Injury Struggles and Late Career Eras (2016–2025)
After his golden era, Wawrinka began dealing with severe knee injuries that required major surgeries. These physical setbacks made moving on grass—which requires deep bending and extreme footwork stability—incredibly difficult.
He suffered early exits in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, despite dealing with lingering pain, he pulled off a vintage upset by defeating world No. 6 Grigor Dimitrov in the first round, reminding fans of his remaining class. He reached the second round again in 2019, right before the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the global pandemic.
Injuries forced Wawrinka to miss the 2021 championships entirely. When he returned in 2022 and 2023, he was a much older player fighting against a brand-new generation of athletes. Still, he managed to reach the third round in 2023, setting up a highly anticipated Centre Court battle against Novak Djokovic. In 2024, he won his opening match before falling in the second round. Recognizing his physical limitations, Wawrinka chose to skip the grass season in 2025 to rest his body on clay, setting the stage for his final appearance in 2026.
Stan Wawrinka’s Complete Year-by-Year Wimbledon Record
Over his long career, Stan Wawrinka played 19 editions of the Wimbledon Championships. Below is a detailed look at his career performance at the All England Club:
| Year | Round Reached | Notable Match or Opponent |
| 2005 | First Round (1R) | Tournament debut; early exit adjusting to surface |
| 2006 | Third Round (3R) | Breakout year on grass; reached the final 32 |
| 2007 | First Round (1R) | Struggled to find rhythm on grass |
| 2008 | Fourth Round (4R) | Showed major grass improvements |
| 2009 | Fourth Round (4R) | Historic 5-set match vs Andy Murray under new roof |
| 2010 | First Round (1R) | Upset early in the opening round |
| 2011 | Second Round (2R) | Unable to build deep momentum |
| 2012 | First Round (1R) | Tough opening match defeat |
| 2013 | First Round (1R) | Final early exit before his career peak |
| 2014 | Quarterfinals (QF) | Lost an epic Swiss battle against Roger Federer |
| 2015 | Quarterfinals (QF) | Heartbreaking 11-9 fifth-set loss to Richard Gasquet |
| 2016 | Second Round (2R) | Played shortly after physical strain |
| 2017 | First Round (1R) | Battled significant knee injury pain |
| 2018 | Second Round (2R) | Stunned top-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in round one |
| 2019 | Second Round (2R) | Steady performance in physical rebuild phase |
| 2020 | Not Held | Tournament canceled due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Absent | Missed tournament due to foot/knee surgeries |
| 2022 | First Round (1R) | Welcomed back warmly by London fans |
| 2023 | Third Round (3R) | Set up a blockbuster match against Novak Djokovic |
| 2024 | Second Round (2R) | Final standard main draw win on grass |
| 2025 | Absent | Opted out to focus on clay-court longevity |
| 2026 | First Round (1R) | Final career match; 4-tiebreak thriller vs Berrettini |
Career Wimbledon Statistics:
- Total Appearances: 19
- Wimbledon Win-Loss Record: 23 wins – 19 losses
- Best Results: Quarterfinalist (2014, 2015)
A Beautiful Legacy at SW19
Stan Wawrinka will retire at the end of the 2026 season without a Career Grand Slam. Because he never lifted the famous Wimbledon trophy, some critics might label grass as his weakest surface. However, looking closely at his history reveals a much more inspiring story.
Wawrinka never gave up on Wimbledon. Even when the low bounces disrupted his timing, and even when his knees standardly protested the slick turf, he kept returning to southwest London. He adapted his game, pushed legends to their absolute limits, and gave the public some of the most dramatic matches in modern tennis history.
Reflecting on his relationship with the tournament during his final tour, Wawrinka stated: “The grass was always a bit more challenging for me, for my game… But in the end, I did the maximum I could. I think making the quarterfinals was a great result for me, and I’m happy with what I have achieved here.”
When Stan Wawrinka walked off No. 1 Court into the night air in 2026, he left as a beloved figure. He proved that greatness is not just measured by the trophies you lift, but by the passion, fight, and respect you bring to the court until the very last point.