Wawrinka Bows Out at Final Grand Slam as Berrettini Wins Again

A Farewell Decades in the Making

Stan Wawrinka played his final Grand Slam match on Monday at the 2026 US Open, losing to Matteo Berrettini 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 in four hours and twelve minutes on the Grandstand court at Flushing Meadows. The 41-year-old Swiss, who announced he would retire at the end of the 2026 season, received a standing ovation from the New York crowd as he left court for the last time at a Grand Slam tournament.

Wawrinka's presence in the draw at all was far from certain. He had initially been denied a wildcard entry for what would have been his farewell Grand Slam. Only when American Patrick Kypson withdrew through injury did a spot open up — a twist that left Wawrinka grateful and emotional in equal measure. Before the match he shared a heartfelt message: "Winning the US Open, in the city that never sleeps, will forever be one of the greatest moments of my life. Forever grateful. Forever New York." When he first arrived in New York from a small farming village in Switzerland, he wrote, "everything felt too big — but year after year New York slowly became one of my favourite places in the world."

Four Sets, Four Tiebreaks — Again

The match unfolded almost identically to their Wimbledon first-round encounter in July, which Berrettini had also won in four sets, every one decided in a tiebreak. At Flushing Meadows the pattern repeated: each set went the distance, and in each case Berrettini held his nerve. The Italian enters the tournament unseeded but showed the big-match composure that once took him to the Wimbledon final, keeping his level consistent across 252 minutes of absorbing hard-court tennis.

Wawrinka refused to buckle. He pushed every set to its limit and gave the New York crowd the extended farewell they deserved. His signature backhand remained a weapon throughout, but Berrettini was the steadier performer at the moments that mattered most. After 252 minutes, Wawrinka's Grand Slam career was over.

A Career Built on Grand Slam Moments

Wawrinka's legacy rests on an extraordinary ability to produce his best tennis at the biggest occasions. His three Grand Slam titles — the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 Roland Garros, and the 2016 US Open — all came against the world number one of the day. The 2016 US Open win, a four-set dismantling of Novak Djokovic in the final, was claimed on the very courts where he played his last professional Grand Slam match on Monday.

Djokovic himself suffered a shock first-round exit on Sunday, beaten by Argentina's Mariano Navone in five sets — meaning neither finalist from 2016 progressed past the opening round of the 2026 edition. Luca Van Assche and Navone were among the early beneficiaries of an unpredictable first two days at Flushing Meadows.

Berrettini Into the Second Round

Berrettini advances to the second round of the US Open, where he will face the winner of another first-round encounter. Without a seeding, his path through the draw may not ease, but two victories over Wawrinka this season — at Wimbledon and now in New York, both times in four tiebreak sets — confirm he can compete with the best when conditions suit him. His final Grand Slam appearance lasted exactly four hours and twelve minutes: appropriate for a player who always did things the hard way.