Stan Wawrinka may be well past his prime but the 39-year-old still loves the game and intends to return to the Tour for the 2025 season, according to Swiss tennis journalist Simon Graf.
The Swiss, who turned pro in 2002, played his 16th tournament of the year in Basel this week. Playing in front of his home fans, the three-time Grand Slam champion defeated Adrian Mannarino in the first round before Ben Shelton handed him a 7-6 (2) 7-5 defeat.
Now, Wawrinka owns a 10-16 record on the year. Throughout the season, the former world No. 3 has been inconsistent. But in Stockholm last week, he clinched his first back-to-back wins this year and made the semifinal. While the Swiss has plummeted to No. 169 and his current level is a far cry from where he once was, he is not thinking about retirement yet.
Good news for tennis in a time of many retirements: @stanwawrinka confirms to me after his match against @BenShelton at Basel that he will continue on the @atptour in 2025. It’s a gift to still see him live out his passion – and how he hits his backhand down the line.
— Simon Graf (@SimonGraf1) October 24, 2024
Wawrinka made history in Basel
By overcoming Mannarino in the first round, the former world No. 3 became the oldest player to record a win in Basel. Sadly for him and the local fans, he didn’t manage to upset world No. 23 Shelton and survive for another day.
Stan Wawrinka© Swiss Indoors Basel/Instagram – Fair Use
However, it is fair to say that it was still a memorable campaign considering that he managed to set up a positive record. And when Shelton was asked about it, he was showed major respect and appreciation for Wawrinka.
“We were joking in the locker room before the match that he’s been on tour as much as I’ve lived… He’s got a lot of experience and a lot of love around the world. He’s done incredible things for our sport. Especially here in Switzerland. You can tell with the fan support today,” the American said.
Meanwhile, Wawrinka will celebrate his 40th birthday in March.