Stan Wawrinka, the art of never giving up

His junior singles title at Roland-Garros in June 2003, and his first ATP match a month later in Gstaad against Jean-René Lisnard, seem both a lifetime ago and strangely close. Throughout it all, Stan Wawrinka never lost his love for the game, carrying that passion right through to the final point of an exemplary career.

Determined to leave on his own terms, the Vaud native gave everything in his final months on Tour. There would be no farewell exhibitions or victory laps. Instead, he continued doing what he had always done: thrilling tennis fans with his legendary one-handed backhand and relentless fighting spirit. And he remained far more than a symbolic presence on court.

“What I always wanted throughout my career was to give everything, to be at 100 per cent in every match, to have no regrets and to keep fighting, with respect for myself, my opponent, the tournament and the fans,” he explained in Lyon just days before retirement. “That has always been the most important thing for me throughout more than twenty years on Tour. It's also the only way to live sport without regrets.

“I think I've managed to do that. Once I decided that 2026 would be my final season, it was important to fully commit myself to tennis. That's exactly what I did throughout the year and especially during the three weeks before my final two tournaments [Lyon and Basel]. I trained like crazy, physically and on the court, to be as good as I possibly could be. I wanted to stay completely focused on my tennis because that was the only way I could still hope to win matches.”

That mindset perfectly encapsulates the story of Stan Wawrinka.

A lesson in perseverance

Passion, resilience and competitiveness. Those three words define a player who became one of the very best of his generation through sheer hard work and determination.

After years of steady progress, often made in the shadow of his contemporaries, most notably Roger Federer, Wawrinka finally captured his first Grand Slam title in 2014, almost a decade after competing in and winning his first major match at Roland-Garros in 2005.

His breakthrough came at the Australian Open, where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final after overcoming Novak Djokovic in a memorable five-set quarter-final that ended 9-7 in the deciding set. At a time when the men's game was dominated by the Big Three, Wawrinka forced his way into one of the sport’s most exclusive clubs.

And it was no fleeting moment of glory. Victories at Roland-Garros in 2015 and the US Open in 2016 secured his place alongside the giants of his era. Already a Masters 1000 champion in Monte-Carlo in 2014, an Olympic doubles gold medallist alongside Federer in Beijing and a Davis Cup winner with Switzerland in 2014, Wawrinka collected some of the most prestigious titles the sport has to offer.

Add five other Grand Slam semi-final appearances and another Roland-Garros final in 2017, and the picture becomes even more striking. A player who once simply hoped to break into the Top 100 climbed all the way to world No.3 in 2014 and spent 170 weeks inside the Top 5 between January 2014 and August 2017.

A relentless worker

Wawrinka’s rise to the top was built on extraordinary dedication and resilience, but also on the influence of one key figure: Magnus Norman. It was the arrival of the former Roland-Garros finalist and world No.2 at the beginning of 2013 that helped Wawrinka take the decisive step forward in Grand Slam competition, where he had never progressed beyond the quarter-finals before.

Several years earlier, he had tattooed a famous quote by Samuel Beckett on his left forearm: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” No phrase better summarises his journey.

Over time, Wawrinka learned to believe in himself regardless of the opponent or the occasion. That self-belief, combined with his explosive shot-making and remarkable physical resilience, forged through countless hours of training, carried him to heights few could have predicted. His success, and perhaps even more so the character revealed by it, brought him a new level of popularity.

Everywhere he played, “Stan The Man” won over crowds. Whether they were captivated by a backhand that was as beautiful as it was destructive or by his unwavering commitment both on and off the court, fans embraced a player who squeezed every ounce out of his talent to achieve his wildest dreams.

That fire never left him, even when injuries took their toll, victories became harder to come by and his ranking slipped back into double digits and eventually triple digits.

Determined to prolong his journey on his own terms, the former world No.3 did not hesitate to return to the Challenger circuit in recent years to rebuild confidence and collect valuable ranking points. And wherever he went, he was reminded of the affection fans felt for him.

“I've been fortunate over the last few years to receive an incredible welcome at every tournament I've played,” he said. “And that was especially true in France. The support I received there, in both small events and major tournaments, was extraordinary. But I genuinely believe everything changed after my Roland-Garros victory in 2015. That's when I truly felt adopted.”

Officially retired now, Wawrinka will say one final farewell to his fans during an exhibition event in Geneva on 19 December. He knows the emotions will be difficult to contain.

“I know the first few moments after retirement will be hard,” he admitted. “But in a way, that's a positive thing. Because if I feel sadness or a sense of loss after leaving behind the life I've lived for twenty years, then it means I truly loved what I was doing.

“Tennis has been my whole life. But I'm at peace with my decision. I know I gave everything I had and, most importantly, I was able to choose when and where I stopped. That was very important to me.”