Challenges Faced by Stan Wawrinka: Obstacles and Turning Points

Life is full of challenges, and Stan Wawrinka faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.

Stan Wawrinka, a Swiss professional tennis player, achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 3 in 2014. A prominent figure in men's tennis, he has secured 16 ATP Tour-level singles titles. His Grand Slam victories include the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open, and 2016 US Open, notably defeating the world No. 1 player in the finals of each. Furthermore, Wawrinka won an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Roger Federer and played a crucial role in Switzerland's 2014 Davis Cup win.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

2008: Murray won at Canada Open

In 2008, Andy Murray defeated Stan Wawrinka in three sets at the Canada Open.

2009: Murray won at Wimbledon fourth round

In 2009, Andy Murray defeated Stan Wawrinka in five sets at the Wimbledon fourth round. It was the first men's match to be played under the Wimbledon roof.

January 2011: Separation from family

On January 4, 2011, Swiss media reported that Stan Wawrinka had separated from his wife and daughter less than a year after his daughter's birth. The couple later reconciled.

2011: Murray won at Shanghai Masters

In 2011, Andy Murray defeated Stan Wawrinka in three sets at the Shanghai Masters.

2012: Federer won at Shanghai Masters

In 2012, Roger Federer defeated Stan Wawrinka in three sets at the Shanghai Masters.

February 2013: Played Longest ATP Doubles Match

On February 2, 2013, in the Davis Cup, Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli were defeated by Lukáš Rosol and Tomáš Berdych in the longest ATP doubles match in history, lasting 7 hours and 2 minutes.

2013: Nadal won Madrid Masters 1000 final

In 2013, Rafael Nadal won the Madrid Masters 1000 final against Stan Wawrinka, continuing a streak of straight-set victories in their encounters.

2013: Federer won at Indian Wells Masters

In 2013, Roger Federer defeated Stan Wawrinka in three sets at the Indian Wells Masters.

2015: French Open Quarterfinals win and US Open Semifinals loss against Federer

In 2015, Stan Wawrinka defeated Roger Federer in the French Open quarterfinals en route to winning his first French Open title. However, Federer reversed it with a straight sets victory in the 2015 US Open semifinals.

2016: Murray ended winning streak against Wawrinka

In 2016, Andy Murray ended Stan Wawrinka's winning streak at the French Open, beating the defending champion in four sets.

August 2017: Knee Surgery Announcement

On August 4, 2017, Wawrinka announced he would undergo surgery to repair damage to his knee, causing him to miss the remainder of the 2017 tennis season.

2017: Nadal won French Open final against Wawrinka

In 2017, Rafael Nadal won their second Grand Slam final, at the French Open.

2017: Federer defeated Wawrinka at Australian Open

In 2017, Roger Federer defeated Stan Wawrinka in five sets in the Australian Open semifinals en route to his 18th major title.

2017: 2017 Season Start and Australian Open Performance

In 2017, Wawrinka started the season by playing in Brisbane instead of defending his Chennai Open title. He reached the Australian Open semifinals, losing to Roger Federer in a close match. He was then upset in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

2017: Murray won his first title since 2017

In 2019, Andy Murray prevailed in the final of the European Open against Stan Wawrinka coming back from a set and a break down to win his first title since 2017 and his hip surgery.

2018: Murray won at Eastbourne International

In 2018, Andy Murray defeated Stan Wawrinka in straight sets at the Eastbourne International.

2018: Wildcard Entries and Quarterfinal Appearance

In 2018, Wawrinka entered Washington as a wildcard, narrowly losing in the first round. He also received a wildcard entry to the Rogers Cup, where he defeated Nick Kyrgios and Márton Fucsovics before losing to Rafael Nadal. At Cincinnati, he reached the quarterfinals before falling to Roger Federer.

2018: 2018 US Open Performance

In 2018, Wawrinka entered the US Open as a wildcard, advancing to the third round with a win over Grigor Dimitrov before losing to Milos Raonic.

2018: St Petersburg and Shanghai Rolex Masters

In 2018, Wawrinka received a wild card and entered the St Petersburg Open beating Karen Khachanov, Aljaž Bedene and Damir Džumhur before losing to Martin Kližan. He received a wildcard for the 2018 Shanghai Rolex Masters.

2018: Return to Tour and Early Losses

In 2018, Wawrinka returned to the tour at the Australian Open, losing in the second round. He also experienced early losses at the Sofia Open, ABN AMRO World tournament, and retired during his first match at the Open 13 in Marseille due to a knee injury.

2018: Return from Injury and Ranking Drop

In 2018, after an injury hiatus, Wawrinka lost in the first round of the Italian Open and in the quarterfinals of the Geneva Open. He also lost in the first round of the French Open, causing his ranking to drop significantly. He also lost in the second round of Queens and the first round of Eastbourne.

2019: Murray prevailed at European open

In 2019, Andy Murray defeated Stan Wawrinka in the final of the European Open, marking Murray's first title since 2017 and his hip surgery.

2019: Federer prevailed at French Open

In 2019, Roger Federer defeated Stan Wawrinka in four sets at the French Open.

2019: 2019 Season Start and First Final in 20 Months

In 2019, Wawrinka started his season at the Qatar Open, reaching the quarterfinals. At the Rotterdam Open, he reached his first tournament final in over 20 months, losing to Gaël Monfils. He also lost in the quarterfinals of the Mexico Open to Nick Kyrgios.

2019: Full Season

In 2023, Wawrinka completed his first full season since 2019. In this season, he achieved his most number of matches played since 2019, highest win percentage since 2020, and reached his first ATP final since 2019.

2020: 2020 Australian Open Quarterfinal

At the 2020 Australian Open, Wawrinka progressed to the quarterfinals, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round before losing to Alexander Zverev.

2020: 2020 French Open Performance

In 2020, the French Open was postponed. Wawrinka did not participate in the 2020 US Open. At the 2020 French Open, he defeated Andy Murray and Dominik Koepfer before losing in the third round to Hugo Gaston.

2020: Full Season

In 2023, Wawrinka completed his first full season since 2019. In this season, he achieved his most number of matches played since 2019, highest win percentage since 2020, and concluded the year ranked world No. 49, his highest ranking since 2020.

2021: 2021 Australian Open and Early Exit

At the 2021 Australian Open, Wawrinka won his first-round match but lost in the second round to Márton Fucsovics in five sets.

2021: Foot Injury and Season Absence

Following early exits in Rotterdam and Doha, Wawrinka had surgery for a left foot injury in 2021. This caused him to miss the clay, grass and hardcourt seasons including the 2021 French Open, Wimbledon and the North American hardcourt swing including the 2021 US Open.

2021: Consecutive Match Wins

Using protected ranking, Wawrinka scored his first two consecutive match wins since 2021 against Reilly Opelka and qualifier Laslo Djere at the Italian Open.

2022: Murray won at Cincinnati Masters

In 2022, Andy Murray defeated Stan Wawrinka in three tight sets in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters.

2022: Return to Tennis and Mixed Results

In 2022, Wawrinka returned to professional tennis at the Andalucía Challenger, losing in the first round. He then played at the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing in the first round. He scored consecutive match wins at the Italian Open before losing in the first round of the French Open and Wimbledon.

2023: Djokovic defeated Wawrinka at Wimbledon

In 2023, Novak Djokovic defeated Stan Wawrinka in three sets at the Wimbledon Championships.

2023: 2023 Season Start and United Cup

In 2023, Wawrinka began his season at the United Cup, leading Team Switzerland. His Australian season ended with a first-round loss at the Australian Open.

2023: Full Season and Grand Slam Appearances

In 2023, Wawrinka completed his first full season since 2019. He reached the third round at Wimbledon and the US Open. He concluded the year ranked world No. 49, his highest ranking since 2020.