Stan Wawrinka's Farewell Approaches: The Grand Slam Legend with Three Wins over the Big Three

In December 2025, 40-year-old Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka officially announced that the 2026 season will be his final year competing on the ATP Tour. This professional journey, which began in 2002, is about to conclude after more than two decades. In his farewell post on Instagram, he emotionally wrote: "Every book needs an ending; it’s time to write the final chapter of my professional tennis career. I still want to push my limits and finish at my best, and I look forward to meeting fans around the world once more to complete this last battle.”

At his peak, Wawrinka competed alongside Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Andy Murray, ranking among the elite of his generation, reaching a career-high ATP ranking of No. 2. Although his peak period was shorter than the Big Three’s, and his Grand Slam titles (3) were far fewer than the double-digit achievements of two of his rivals, and despite holding an overall 12-53 record against the Big Three (Federer 3-23, Nadal 3-19, Djokovic 6-21), each of his victories came on crucial stages. Notably, all three of his Grand Slam titles concluded with wins over the Big Three, making him a legendary “giant slayer” in tennis history.

The 2014 Australian Open marked the first major turning point in Wawrinka’s career.

In thequarterfinalshe faced then three-time defending champion Djokovic, who had a 14-match winning streak against him, dominating their head-to-head 15-2 and boasting a 25-match winning streak at Melbourne Park. But Wawrinka resisted the pressure, battling for four hours to overturn the match with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 victory, ending Djokovic’s winning run.

He defeated Thomas Berdych in four sets in the semifinals.

In the final, he faced Nadal, who had been undefeated in their 12 previous encounters, and ultimately defeated the Spanish superstar 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to claim his first Grand Slam title, kicking off his legend as a “big stage player.”At the 2015 French Open, Wawrinka once again staged a “giant slayer” performance.

In the

quarterfinalshe faced his compatriot and world No. 2,Federerand despite trailing 2-16 in their head-to-head record, swept him decisively with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) scoreline.

He then defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals.

In the final, he met world No. 1 Djokovic,who had eliminated Nadal in the quarterfinals and Murray in the semifinals, just one step away from completing a career Grand Slam. Wawrinka reversed the world No. 1 with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory, overcoming two giants on clay to lift his second Grand Slam trophy.

Please note, this was during Djokovic’s incredible 2015 season, where he reached 15 finals out of 16 tournaments and won 11 titles. The only Grand Slam final he lost that year was to Wawrinka.

At the 2016 US Open,Wawrinka, seeded third, met defending champion and world No. 1 Djokovic again in the final. After dropping the first set, he steadily fought back to win 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3, claiming his third Grand Slam title and increasing his head-to-head Grand Slam wins over Djokovic to five, becoming one of the few players to beat Djokovic twice in Grand Slam finals.

Now, Wawrinka’s professional journey is counting down, and every match in the 2026 season will be a treasured memory for fans. Although his win rate against the Big Three is low, his three Grand Slam titles, all achieved by defeating the giants, have already left a vivid mark in tennis history. Whether he meets Djokovic again in his final season to continue their rivalry remains a key focus for the tennis world. Regardless of the outcome, the “Swiss Warrior” has written a legendary story that fans will always cherish.

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