Stan Wawrinka played the final Grand Slam match of his career on Monday at the 2026 US Open, bowing out with a defeat to Matteo Berrettini in Grandstand. It was an event to cherish at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
This was Grandstand like you’ve never seen it before. Packed to the gills, even the standing room only section that encircles the oval-shaped show court. Honey Deuce cups propped up on the rails like balls on a Christmas tree, the lines outside snaking around the dining pavilion and the Lavazza stand outside the stadium.
This was New York energy seeking Swiss homage.
The beloved 2016 champion, uncorking his glorious backhand in New York City for the last time, battling another wildly popular protagonist: the seemingly sculpted-from-stone Italian, Berrettini.
They came to see Stan’s last stand, and they got what they were looking for. Forget the score—Berrettini played stellar tennis from start to finish to notch a 7-6(4), 7-6(3), 6-0 victory—this was about paying respect.
“I was a kid when I was watching him winning Slams,” Berrettini said of Wawrinka during the post-match ceremony. “You guys gave us an unbelievable atmosphere like he deserves and I’m just happy to share the court with a great player like him.”
An unmatched ambiance in Grandstand
Wawrinka, the 41-year-old soon-to-be-retired Swiss who traded thunder with the Big Three in his heyday, is not the same player he was then. He is not the player that won three major titles in a three-year span from 2014 to 2016, each one featuring a win over a reigning world No. 1 in the final: Rafael Nadal and twice Novak Djokovic going down in flames as Wawrinka went undefeated in Grand Slam finals.
Father Time has been chipping away at Wawrinka, currently ranked No. 127, making wins harder to come by. But Monday’s clash, marking Wawrinka’s 18th appearance in Flushing, was more about what fans could do for Stan than what he could do for them.
They came for the swagger, the finger-to-temple intensity, the oil painting of a backhand, and they were not disappointed. He didn’t win, but the man can still drop jaws with his tennis.
A battle royale for two sets
Wawrinka and Berrettini’s second career meeting—and second in two months—was much closer than the straight-set scoreline indicates. The pair traded blows in the opening two sets, with Wawrinka rallying to break for 5-all in the first but surrendering the set in a tight tiebreak.
Spits of rain delayed play after the first two games of the second set, and the DJ kept things lively by playing Blind Melon’s “No Rain.”
More important? The seats remained packed, crowds filing in quickly for any fan who chose to get dry.
An hour later, the faithful were on their feet before the second set tiebreaker, just as Wawrinka swooped in and punched a volley winner to level at 6-6.
Berrettini held his nerve in the tiebreak and kept Wawrinka at bay even as the fans tried to rally him. With the Swiss spent in the third, Berrettini pulled away, finishing the match with a drop shot winner that ended a US Open career that commenced 21 years ago and left fans with memories that will last a lifetime.
“For me it’s been more than 20 years since the first time I came here in New York,” Wawrinka said. “It was impressive for me to feel the New York vibes and the energy of this tournament.
“I found my way to play my best tennis here. Today was one of the reasons I kept playing until age 41, to feel your support, so thank you so much,” a teary-eyed Wawrinka said. “I’m gonna miss it, for sure. I’m gonna miss it, big time.”
Time stood still
Wawrinka, who turned 41 earlier this year, was bidding to become the oldest men’s match winner at the US Open since 1977.
When the US Open men’s singles draw came out last week, many had predicted a second-round clash between Djokovic and Wawrinka, a rematch of their 2016 final. Instead, it will be Berrettini and Argentina’s Mariano Navone.
Irrefutable proof that time catches up to everyone—but that doesn’t mean it can’t be made to stand still, at least for a few moments. It did today in Grandstand, and all who came to witness won’t forget it.
