Retiring Wawrinka winds back the clock with gutsy win
Stan Wawrinka’s farewell tour has started with a gutsy win, the three-time grand slam champion beating world No.29 Arthur Rinderknech in a three-set thriller at the United Cup in Perth.
Stan Wawrinka of Team Switzerland plays a backhand during Day 2 of the United Cup at RAC Arena.Credit: Getty Images
Wawrinka announced last month that 2026 will be his final year on tour, but he warned he wasn’t planning to go quietly.
The 40-year-old lived up to his word in 33-degree heat at Perth’s RAC Arena on Saturday, digging deep into his reserves to pull off a brave 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5) victory over Rinderknech to give Switzerland an unassailable 2-0 lead in their tie against France.
World No.11 Belinda Bencic had given Switzerland a 1-0 lead earlier in the day by beating Leolia Jeanjean 6-2 6-4 in 91 minutes.
After an epic match that lasted three hours and 18 minutes, Wawrinka joked he had hoped for a quicker contest to begin 2026.
“But no, this is why I keep playing,” Wawrinka said.
“I’m passionate about the game. I’m always going to push my own limit. I’ve said I’ve been working hard this off-season.
“Even if it’s my last year, I don’t just want to play to play. I want to play to compete and try to win.
“So I’m super happy with the performance today, with the win. It was a tough fight, big fight, but I stayed quite positive and really focused on my own discipline during the game.”
