Stan Wawrinka was always considered something of a late bloomer. The Swiss won his first of three majors, the 2014 Australian Open, just weeks before turning 29, and the last one two years later here in Flushing.
With his second-round win Thursday over the No. 30 seed Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the 38-year-old Wawrinka became the oldest man to make the third round of the US Open since Jimmy Connors made history by storming his way to the semifinals as a 39-year-old in 1991.
“Physically I think I'm okay,” said Wawrinka after the match. “I'm old, of course, but I feel good. I was feeling good on the court against a younger player.”
The veteran, who is the oldest man in the US Open draw, has spent the last few years dealing with what most professional tennis players are forced to confront in the late stages of their careers: injuries. Hobbled by knee and foot issues, Wawrinka required two knee surgeries in 2017, followed by two foot surgeries in 2021.
The former World No. 3 refused to throw in the towel, though, toiling to put himself back into contention in the twilight of his career. The Swiss needed 3 hours, 40 minutes to overcome Etcheverry in four sets, but it was Wawrinka, not his opponent–14 years younger–who seemed to grow stronger as the match went on.
Of course, strength was always Wawrinka’s calling card. The burly baseliner is a beast off both wings, pummeling groundstrokes that are among the heaviest in the men’s game. Wawrinka captured the French Open in 2015 by basically blasting Novak Djokovic off the court, pushing him deep behind the baseline and preventing the Serb from seizing control of points.
Along with Andy Murray (and occasionally Juan Martín del Potro, when the tall Argentine was not ailing), Wawrinka was one of very few men who could challenge the Big Three at the majors. In fact, the Swiss boasts five wins over World No. 1s at Slams and earned each of his three major crowns by defeating the top-ranked player in the final. Wawrinka is one of just three players to defeat Djokovic, Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at majors. At his peak, the Swiss won 11 straight finals from 2014-16.
"If you [are] still passionate about something, you shouldn't stop or change.”
After some fallow results and a determination not to leave the game hobbled, Wawrinka gamely dropped down to play the Challenger circuit several times in the last few years. On the comeback trail, Wawrinka defeated No. 4 Daniil Medvedev in 2022 and No. 8 Holger Rune at Indian Wells earlier this year. He reached a tour final, his first since 2019, at Umag in July.
Wawrinka’s ranking has climbed steadily back up to No. 49 from No. 306, the highest it has been since 2021. And he has registered a respectable 24-15 record on the year.
It’s his passion and the love of the game that keeps him motivated, he said. “I like the emotion I get from tennis, like today playing Court 17, full [of] people, playing in the biggest tournaments that we have in tennis, playing some top players, top-30, top-20 players, still winning something special.”
Wawrinka continued, “I also know the day I stop I will never find those emotions anywhere. I'm enjoying what I'm doing. I think it's an amazing life, and we are lucky to be tennis players and to travel the world, to play in the biggest tournaments. If you [are] still passionate about something, you shouldn't stop or change.”
“Most important for me is to keep going, to keep going in the right direction. Hopefully I can keep pushing myself and get some big results before the end of the year.”
Though his compatriot Federer put away his racquet last year, and 37-year-old Nadal has said next year will be his last on tour, Wawrinka isn’t thinking about retirement yet.
“I never forgot why I started playing tennis and what I was dreaming of when I was young was to play the US Open, to play those Grand Slams, big tournaments, ATP tournaments, to be there,” said Wawrinka after his first-round win. “I'm happy I can still play at that level.”
The Swiss added that he knows where he is right now and that he can “beat some really good players. I can be really competitive. I'm moving well. Most important for me is to keep going, to keep going in the right direction. Hopefully I can keep pushing myself and get some big results before the end of the year.”
The three-time major champion faces last year’s semifinalist, 22-year-old Jannik Sinner, the sixth seed, in the third round on Saturday. Sinner is 16 years Wawrinka’s junior.
But Wawrinka has all the experience on his side.
