Swiss Indoors Basel
Stan Wawrinka plays the last tournament of his career at the Swiss Indoors Basel, which runs from 26 October to 1 November. The three-time Grand Slam champion has a main-draw wildcard at his home event, a tribute is planned for the opening night, and his first match is scheduled for Tuesday 27 October.
He announced last December that 2026 would be his final season. “Every book needs an ending,” he wrote. In May the tournament confirmed that his home event in Basel would be the place he stops.
The Farewell Week
The Swiss Indoors opens with its Super Monday evening on 26 October, and this year the usual music acts make way for a show of about 40 minutes devoted to Wawrinka, with highlights from his career and, the organisers promise, a few surprises. He then plays his first-round match on Tuesday 27 October. Two other Swiss players, Jérôme Kym and Dominic Stricker, also have wildcards.
Basel will be his last tour event, but not quite his last appearance. On 19 December he plays an exhibition called One Last Backhand at Palexpo in Geneva, with Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Gaël Monfils.
Three Majors in the Big Four Era
Wawrinka won his three Grand Slam titles at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray won almost everything. Between 2004 and the end of 2021 he was the only other man to win three majors, and he beat the world No. 1 in all three finals:
| Year | Grand Slam | Final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Australian Open | beat Rafael Nadal | 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2015 | French Open | beat Novak Djokovic | 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2016 | US Open | beat Novak Djokovic | 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 |
He did it with one of the great one-handed backhands, hit with such force from both corners that the nickname “Stanimal” stuck. On his left forearm he has a tattoo of a line from Samuel Beckett: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” It became a summary of a career that peaked late. He won his first major at 28.
More Than the Majors
- Career-high ranking: world No. 3, first reached in January 2014.
- Titles: 16 on the ATP Tour, from Umag in 2006 to Geneva in 2017.
- Masters 1000: Monte-Carlo in 2014, beating Federer in the final.
- Olympics: doubles gold in Beijing in 2008, with Federer.
- Davis Cup: champion with Switzerland in 2014, when he won a singles rubber against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the doubles with Federer in the final against France in Lille.
A Long Goodbye
His last season had its moments. At the Australian Open in January he beat Arthur Géa in five sets to become the first man aged 40 or over to reach the third round of a major since Ken Rosewall in 1978, before losing to Taylor Fritz. In February he climbed back into the top 100 at No. 98, the first man in his 40s to do so since Federer. He is world No. 140 in the rankings of 19 October.
His Home Tournament
Basel has never quite been his event. His best results there are the semi-finals in 2006 and 2011, and he never reached the final of the tournament Federer won ten times. But he has kept coming back: 2026 is his 19th main-draw appearance, and in 2024 he became the oldest man to win a match in the tournament’s history. Our list of Swiss Indoors winners has every champion since 1990, and the Swiss Indoors Basel 2026 preview has the rest of the field, including Novak Djokovic, who is also in on a wildcard.
How to Watch
The Swiss Indoors Basel is live on Sky Sports and NOW in the UK. Our guide to watching the Swiss Indoors Basel has the details.
FAQ
Stan Wawrinka Retirement FAQs
Is Basel Stan Wawrinka’s last tournament?
Yes. The Swiss Indoors Basel, from 26 October to 1 November 2026, is the final tournament of his career. He plays on a main-draw wildcard.
When does Stan Wawrinka play in Basel?
His first match is scheduled for Tuesday 27 October. A tribute to him is planned for the opening Super Monday evening on 26 October.
How many Grand Slams did Stan Wawrinka win?
Three: the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open.
What was Stan Wawrinka’s highest ranking?
World No. 3, first reached in January 2014.
Is there a farewell exhibition after Basel?
Yes. One Last Backhand, at Palexpo in Geneva on 19 December 2026, with Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Gaël Monfils.
More Coverage
Full coverage of the week sits on our Swiss Indoors Basel hub, with the preview, the prize money breakdown and the list of past winners. For the other ATP 500 that week, see our Vienna Open hub, and every event is in the 2026 tennis calendar.