Bill Simons
“Stan the Man” Wawrinka will always be the man. The best tennis player named Stan since Stan Smith, after 23 years, has just announced that 2026 will be his final year on tour.
But he will long be remembered.
The guy can already book his ticket to his Hall of Fame induction in 2031. And of course, his resume is as strong as one of his sweeping backhands. Once ranked No. 3, he won 16 ATP titles, including the Australian, French and U.S. Opens, and alongside Roger Federer captured Olympic gold in doubles and a Davis Cup.
Put it this way: along with Andy Murray, Juan Martín del Potro and Marin Čilić, he actually had the audacity to win Slams during the Big 3 era — how dare he? Then again, the Swiss with the linebacker-like barrel chest and massive backhand and forehand, at times, had the best groundstrokes in the game.
Plus, he often carried a mischievous twinkle. After all, how many guys have told Roger Federer, “You’re such an asshole!” in front of 16,000 Indian Wells fans?
But we remember him for four more atypical reasons.
For starters, who else had a better collection of nicknames? Obviously, he was Stan the Man. But he was also “The Bison” (boring) and “Stanimal,” which is my personal favorite.
In a sport that loves tattoos, Stan’s stood apart. Yes, Aryna Sabalenka’s tiger tat is well chosen, and Karolína Plíšková’s Māori-inspired ink is striking. But Stan’s is in another dimension. His tattoo — “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” — is a grand celebration of spunk, strength and resilience. In our book, it’s tennis’ second-best tattoo, after the simple, hopeful message offered by Janko Tipsarević: “Beauty Will Save the World.”
And speaking of second place, what other tennis player has had to try to excel in such a mighty shadow more than Stan?
Yes, Martina Navratilova, for all her wins, always chased the adoration Chris Evert drew with ease. Brits will tell you that few of their countrymen captured much affection when Sir Andy Murray was at his peak.
But trying to gain fame as a Swiss player in the Federer era was like being a court musician when Mozart was soaring. It just wasn’t going to happen.
Yet Stan — wise, grounded, and secure — was his own man, on his own path. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t try to replicate Roger’s balletic grace — why bother? Only a fool would try to out-Federer Federer. No one could. Instead, he unleashed those massive thunderbolts off both wings that told the world, I’m Stan — my own man.
He should have been the main man in his small country. Still, he thrived.
To me, more than anything, Wawrinka’s greatest feat occurred far from the court. At a moment when he could have stayed silent, he stood up. When much of tennis retreated to safety, he emerged.
I hesitate to even revisit the problematic case involving Justin Gimelstob. It would be easier to let that pain fade. Plus, he seems to be doing well these days and we wish him and his family nothing but the best.
But many still recall that the adept broadcaster, tennis politician, promoter and former player — who already carried a history of troubling sexist comments — became involved in a messy 2018 Los Angeles brawl with a long-time, troublesome rival. Worse yet, the incident occurred on Halloween and reportedly in front of children who were trick-or-treating.
The details were complex and are now murky. But at the time, the incident reverberated through the sport.
On his day in court, Justin did not seek to assert his innocence. Ultimately, the judge found him guilty and slapped him on the wrist.
At the time, the politically skilled Gimelstob seemed to be on the cusp of becoming one of the most powerful figures in tennis. Already on the ATP Player Council, many believed he might soon become the ATP’s executive director. But after news of the fight spread, Justin resisted stepping away from power. Many in the sport murmured: Why wouldn’t someone involved in such an incident either clearly establish he wasn’t at fault — or simply move on?
Nonetheless, few spoke out.
In what may have been his finest moment in tennis, Wawrinka did — sending The Times of London what may be the most impactful letter ever written by an active player. It read, in part:
Sir,
The past six months have been eventful for the ATP and men’s professional tennis. Sadly, politics have overshadowed the action on the courts, and I feel compelled to express my views on this regrettable period in our sport. This episode has left many players, myself included, concerned about the direction tennis is heading in.
I started playing at the age of eight, the son of a farmer. My parents and this sport have taught me about real values, fighting hard with passion, commitment and determination, but, most importantly, with integrity and honesty. I have always been taught to stand up for what I believe in, and I believe that anyone associated with tennis should espouse these values.
What I have witnessed in the last few months is a worrying decline in moral standards.
I am relieved that Justin Gimelstob has finally had the decency to resign from the ATP board after being sentenced for assault, but I am dismayed by how long this took. I am also concerned that many within the game think this episode is now over, and are simply relieved at having avoided any negative press themselves. This is not good enough. We are ALL accountable and we must ALL learn from this.
There is no place in our sport for those who behave like Justin. The lack of responses from people involved in the game, particularly at the beginning of this saga, when he was charged last December, was alarming. This is a situation where silence amounts to complicity.
My fellow players on the council should never have been put in the position where they had responsibility for deciding whether Justin should have remained in his position. It is the duty of the board representatives to lead by example and protect the players. They should have immediately managed this controversy. Instead they shamefully voted in December for Justin to continue with his duties.
Many players feel that they were not represented properly throughout the last few months, during which so much has happened politically. I agree with them. I do not want to be associated with anyone who played a part in this, let alone be represented by them. I want to be represented by people with clear, strong ethical values.
Some people feel that the governance structure of the ATP does not work, that it’s too cumbersome, impossible to represent both players and tournaments. But I fundamentally believe in this system. The fault lies not in the structure, but in the calibre of people within it. There are numerous conflicts of interest to address throughout the whole sport.
Tennis is a selfish sport. Inherently people are too concerned with their own interests. This inevitably causes difficulties in the management of the tour, which have escalated in recent months…
This political chaos is caused by a handful of people with personal agendas and, more disturbingly, with no alternative plan to follow up on their concerted plot to remove Chris Kermode, the executive chairman and president, earlier this year.
These moral issues are by no means unique to tennis. Indeed it feels these days as if every time you open a newspaper, another scandal is unfolding, whether it be in politics, Hollywood or the corporate world. It is more important than ever that anyone with a public platform leads by example and demonstrates real values — honesty, kindness, trust, friendship.
I am by no means perfect, as a man or as an athlete. I have been divorced and have made many a mistake during my 17-year career as a professional.
But I am passionate about tennis, proud to be a part of this great sport and determined to speak up where I see us letting ourselves down. This is a sport with global appeal, to men, women and children of all ages and all cultures. We have a responsibility to be the best we can be.
I hope our sport can put this dreadful period behind us, move forward and embrace the future.
Stan Wawrinka,
Professional tennis player, Switzerland