Last year, when Stan Wawrinka took the court at the Barcelona Open, his run was cut short in the Round of 32 by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. This time around, though, the Swiss veteran gets another shot, one more chance at redemption.

Interestingly, while he was overlooked for wildcards at both Indian Wells and the Miami Open, tournament directors across Europe have been far more receptive, opening the door for a fitting final chapter on his own terms.

Recently, he was offered a wildcard for the Barcelona Open taking place from April 13-19, which he accepted. The Swiss has already confirmed for Monte-Carlo at the start of the next month and the Geneva Open in May, with Roland Garros to follow. 

Having already announced that 2026 will be his final year on tour, Wawrinka has been playing with a renewed sense of purpose. The 40-year-old’s passion has been evident all season, especially during his run at the Australian Open.

He’s compiled a 6–8 record so far this year, highlighted by a third-round appearance in Melbourne, enough to push him back inside the top 100 for the first time since July 2024. And from the looks of it, he’s not slowing down.

The Swiss icon has started his clay campaign in Napoli Challenger, but the opener ended in a first-round defeat to Matteo Martineau. He will head to Monte Carlo next, where he won his only title in 2014, defeating Roger Federer in the final. 

Next, the ATP 500 event in Barcelona, which consists of all the star players, including the world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Alex De Minaur, and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Wawrinka’s record in Barcelona stands at 12-6, with two titles, which came in 2006 and 2008. Last year, he was knocked out in the first round by Alejandro Fokina in straight sets, and now this is only the second time he will be playing the event in 16 years. 

Geneva has perhaps the most important meaning for the former world No. 3. Geneva is where Wawrinka won his last trophy in 2017 in his homeland, and his appearance in May will provide a kind of goodbye to the Swiss fans who have supported him throughout his career. He also added the Estoril Open in July to his schedule, a tournament he has never played before in his long career, one last new chapter before he closes the book.

It is all leading to Roland Garros, where Wawrinka had won the iconic 2015 French Open title against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. In an era where the big three, Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal dominated the sport, the Swiss made his place, and this remains one of the great Grand Slam performances of the modern era. 

Stan Wawrinka’s emotional farewell to tennis

On December 19, 2025, Stan Wawrinka took to social media announcing his farewell year. The post had a very clear message that the last year is not just gonna be ceremonial but “ONE LAST PUSH.”

“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,” Wawrinka wrote. 

“This is what this journey has been about,” he wrote. “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,” he added. 

At the Rotterdam Open, when he was asked what he would miss the most about playing tennis, he replied:

“I started when I was 8 years old, just as a kid who wanted to play tennis and it quickly became a passion. The sport is an amazing school of life in general and the emotion you get from the sport. For me, that’s what I’m going to miss the most because there will be no place where I can find it. So all these aspects for me, it’s going to be tough to not have it anymore,” Wawrinka said.

The emotions and feelings that are felt by an athlete can not be replicated in any situation, is something the former world No. 3 will crave. He will enjoy white it lasts, Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Geneva, Roland Garros, Estoril, the final chapter is being written one wildcard at a time.