“I squeezed the lemon until the last drop”: Stan Wawrinka reflects after Medvedev ends Dubai run

Stan Wawrinka’s 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign ended in straight sets on Wednesday, with Daniil Medvedev defeating the 40-year-old Swiss 6-2, 6-3 in the round of 16. The former world No. 3 struggled to impose himself against the third seed, who dictated from the baseline and never allowed the match to drift.

For Wawrinka, the result was secondary to context. Dubai has marked key moments in his career, including his title run in 2016, and this year’s appearance formed part of what is expected to be his final season on tour. The crowd recognised that history, offering warm support throughout.

Medvedev’s efficiency highlighted the physical demands of today’s ATP level. The Russian absorbed Wawrinka’s power comfortably and converted his chances early in both sets. At 40, Wawrinka remains competitive, but the margins at this level are unforgiving.

When asked whether he had regrets about his career, Wawrinka’s answer was direct. His initial dream, he explained, was simply to become a professional, reach the top 100 and compete in Grand Slams. Three major titles later — Australian Open (2014), Roland Garros (2015) and US Open (2016) — the scale of achievement speaks for itself.

“I do believe that I did squeeze the lemon until the last drop. That’s why in general of course I don’t have regret. I think I maximize everything I could. I think I always push myself to be the best version of myself. I am super happy with what I achieved, happy with those three Grand Slam and all the other tournament that I got. No, I don’t think I could have done more.”

He made clear that any true regret would have come from lack of effort, not missed trophies. “When I arrive on tour, my dream was to be a tennis player, was to be professional tennis player, meaning to play the Grand Slam, be top 100 in the world, play this year, quit. That was my dream. I kind of made a promise with myself that the goal when I stop this long journey will be to have no regret.”

The tone was not nostalgic. It was analytical — the assessment of a player who built his success in the shadow of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and still carved out a Hall-of-Fame résumé.

Attention inevitably turned to the current power structure in men’s tennis. With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz splitting the biggest titles over the past two seasons, the perception is that the gap has widened.

Wawrinka did not dispute it. “I think for sure right now Jannik and Carlos are different level. But there will be opportunity in the future. There are always going to be opportunity for player.”

He expanded on the physical and tennis gap separating them from the field. “At the end of the day you don’t play the top player every match… it’s of course difficult challenge when you have two player like that, that they are so far better tennis-wise and physically, they’re winning all the big titles.”

Rather than framing it as a closed era, he offered advice rooted in self-improvement. “For me the most important is to look about yourself, to look about what you can improve, how you going to improve, what you can do the best to improve your game physically, tennis-wise, and to not look about who I need to beat this guy or I need to beat this guy.”

Wawrinka also addressed how he extended his career into a third decade on tour. Unlike many players who chase ranking points relentlessly, he prioritised long-term balance. “Yeah, I think the reason why I kept playing for so long… is because from a young age I always sacrificed few tournaments during the year to make sure I don’t overplay, mentally, physically, and tennis-wise, too. I always tried to do a schedule that was the best for the long-term and of my career.”

The ATP calendar, he noted, “don’t really stop.” Without controlled breaks, the season becomes overwhelming. His solution was rhythm — what he described as playing the schedule “by wave.”

As he closed his press conference in Dubai, Wawrinka did not sound like a player fading out. He sounded like someone still engaged. “So far I’m quite happy where I am right now. I’m happy with what’s happening this year so far because the level is good. I’m winning match there and that. I’m enjoying that. For me, that was the most important in my last year, is to be competitive on the court.”