“It’s a bit messy, I would say”: Stan Wawrinka adds his voice to concerns over ATP scheduling

Stan Wawrinka will compete for the last time at the Australian Open this year — in his farewell season — and will be one of only three players in the draw who have lifted the title before, alongside Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.

The three-time major champion received a main draw invitation while participating in the United Cup. At the start of the tournament, Wawrinka admitted he wasn’t sure if he would receive an invitation, but his strong performance at the start of the Aussie swing convinced the organisers to give the Swiss star one final chance to play in front of the Australian crowd.

Wawrinka arrives in Melbourne with special motivation this year, not only because it’s his farewell, but also after a remarkable start in the United Cup for Team Switzerland, which he captained and led to its first-ever final. Wawrinka earned a single victory in his five matches but competed closely against opponents such as Flavio Cobolli and Hubert Hurkacz.

“The United Cup was an amazing event to play. Belinda was unbelievable, we had a great team, and it was really good for us to make the final,” the Swiss said upon arriving in Melbourne. “We love to win, but we had so much fun there. Tennis-wise, I’m super happy. It’s been going well — good preparation, a good off-season, working hard to keep the level up — and I’m looking forward to starting here.”

The 2014 Australian Open champion is in his farewell year on the Tour and is currently ranked No. 139, after earning points in the United Cup that helped him rise 17 positions in the ATP rankings. Wawrinka has extended his career perhaps longer than expected, and for years, the question of his eventual retirement was raised in his press conferences — a decision he made at the end of 2025.

“Yeah, it was at the end of last year — between October, November and December — that I had these thoughts in my mind. During last year, I didn’t know. I wanted to keep going, that’s for sure. I was happy playing, and I still am,” he mentioned at the press conference. “But suddenly, at the end of last year, I found out that it was quite clear that next year should be my last year. It was not at all a hard decision. It was quite easy. I’m super happy with this decision. I’m at peace with it.”

“I’m looking forward to the year. One year of tennis is a lot of tennis — it’s really long — and I’m not getting younger. I’m also happy to try to play this year while still being competitive and playing well,” the world No. 3 added. “I didn’t want to not know when I would stop, or to suddenly get injured or lose the love of the game. I’m still passionate about the game, I’m still fully focused on it, and that’s why I felt this was the right way.”

One of the topics Wawrinka discussed in detail was the current ATP calendar — highly criticised by both ATP and WTA players, with Wawrinka also joining the debate. “I think we need to see what’s really going to happen. Because so far, it’s been more about adding tennis than cutting the calendar,” he said. “Tournaments have become longer and bigger. The season is really long. You have Masters 1000 events that are 10 days long, finals on Wednesdays, one-round qualifying — it’s a bit messy, I would say.”

“It’s tough for the younger generation to accept sacrificing some tournaments, and probably some money at the end of the year, for their health and for a long-term career," the 3-time major champion added. "So it’s going to be interesting to see what the real decisions are and which direction they take.”

Wawrinka is already aware of his first-round opponent: Serbian Laslo Djere (No. 91), who has been focusing on Challenger events and struggled at the end of 2025, winning only two of his last ten matches of the season. Djere played the Hong Kong Open last week, advanced through qualifying, but lost in the first round to Marcos Giron.