Wawrinka assumes his retirement: "Every week I am closer to the end"

Fernando Murciego | 26 May 2025 | 23.45

Stan Wawrinka, dejected after his defeat at Roland Garros. Source: Getty

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Very painful defeat for Stan Wawrinka in the first round of Roland Garros, although it does not come as a big surprise when we look at his recent results. The former champion in Paris from a decade ago needed a wild card to compete in this edition, where he appeared at 40 years old and outside the top 100. He was drawn against Jacob Fearnley, but the feeling right now is one of extreme vulnerability. Have we witnessed the Swiss's last journey at the French Grand Slam? Even he doesn't know, but the reality suggests that his professional career could be closer than ever to its end.

Pain from the defeat

"I'm here in front of you after losing in the first round (smile). It's evident that I’m nearing the end, but I'm not going to stop right now, that's for sure. Every week I'm getting closer, of course, but I believe I'm still playing good tennis, moving well, and still enjoying it. All these defeats are becoming hard to digest, but I want to find the balance between the sacrifice and everything one does to be at this level. Every now and then, you need to win matches, but at the moment I'm not getting many victories, or not enough. We'll see what happens; I've just finished this Roland Garros, we'll see what unfolds in the coming weeks."

Continuing to enjoy

"The passion and enjoyment are still present every day, the greatest satisfaction is having the crowd on my side, cheering and supporting me. When that incredible atmosphere happens, it is absolutely wonderful; I know I will never find this in any other career I could have. Looking at everything happening now, I still enjoy playing tennis, although it's important to keep things balanced. There's a lot of sacrifice, a lot of effort, all the training and discipline it takes to still be here at a reasonable level at 40. At the very least, you should get a return on your investment by winning some matches, but it's getting increasingly harder."

Content with his career

"I think I achieved much more than I could have dreamed of when I was young. My dream was to be a professional tennis player, have the opportunity to compete in these Grand Slam tournaments, just to be in the main draws. Then I had the chance to win three of them, the chance to achieve incredible things for Switzerland with the Davis Cup and the Olympics. I am very happy with what I have accomplished so far, but the disappointments of the past few weeks are getting increasingly difficult to digest; it's important to be realistic."

Excitement to return to a Grand Slam

"That feeling will never change; it's about the pure passion I feel for this sport. Without a doubt, it's the excitement I enjoy the most; I still greatly enjoy the support I receive from all the people, it excites me to see everyone cheering me on and waiting for me on the court, trying to help me win matches. This is one of the main reasons why I keep striving, to have the opportunity to play matches like today's. No matter how tough it is to lose, because losing is never beautiful, that support remains very special."

Retirement, getting closer

"Retiring from tennis is a very personal decision; I still don't know how I will face it. Let's say there is no guarantee that I will return to Roland Garros next year. If I don't win some matches, if my results don't move me up in the rankings, I will not return, not with a wildcard or in any way. This could give you some answers. As for the coming weeks, the clay court season is coming to an end, I did everything possible to show a good level, but I am satisfied with what I can still do physically and technically. I need results; I am very competitive, although I enjoy and am passionate about all this, if I play, it's to win. Right now, the situation is very uneven, as since the beginning of the year, I have not been able to find the results."

Magnus Norman's opinion

"It's a bit early to tell you what we discussed after the match; we only exchanged a few words. Magnus is another great competitor; if he stays by my side, it's because he believes in me. You should see all the effort we put in during training to improve my game level. It's very disappointing when I don't win; that's not what he's aiming for when he trains me. I know I'm 40, but I still believe I'm a good player, that I have a good level, both physically and technically. What I see is that during the matches, there are things that don't work well, I've seen this many times."

Is it worth continuing to try?

"I ask myself that every day; sometimes I think this might be the last time I'm here. Probably, this is my last Roland Garros. It's all part of what's going through my mind right now; these are thoughts that I find hard to shake off. When you're training, there are many things you've been working on for so long that they should come out easily later… but it's not always the case."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Wawrinka asume su retirada: “Cada semana estoy más cerca del final"