Stan Wawrinka Farewell: Stan The Man’s big wins against Big Three of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer

Shahida Jacobs 20 Dec 2025 11:03 AM

Pictured: 2015 French Open winner Stan Wawrinka with insets of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer

Wawrinka with insets of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer

As Stan Wawrinka prepares for his final season on the ATP Tour, we look at a few of his biggest moments against the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Stan The Man has announced that the 2026 season will be his last as a professional tennis player as he will bring the curtain down on a successful career that spanned more than two decades after turning pro in 2002.

In an Instagram post, the 40-year-old wrote: “Every book needs an ending. It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player. 2026 will be my last year on tour.”

The Swiss added: “I still want to push my limits and finish this journey on the best note possible. I still have dreams in this sport. I’ve enjoyed every part of what tennis has given me, especially the emotions I feel playing in front of you. I’m looking forward to seeing you one more time, all around the world.

“One last push.”

At his peak, Wawrinka was considered one of the best of his generation as he formed the Big Five along with Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray.

The Swiss’ peak, though, was not as long as that of the Big Three as he won three Grand Slams compared to the double digits from Messrs Djokovic, Nadal and Federer and reached a career-high of No 2 in the ATP Rankings.

Wawrinka will also be the first to concede that he didn’t have the best of records against Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, but boy, when he turned it on against the Big Three it was often on the biggest stages at Grand Slam events.

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He played 63 matches against the Big Three – let’s not forget most of those were when the trio dominated the ATP Tour – and won only 12 of those matches, but they were all pretty significant.

The Swiss had a 3-23 win-loss record against Federer and was 3-19 against Nadal while he is currently 6-21 against Djokovic, although they could still meet the Serbian during his final season next year.

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Yet, all three of Wawrinka’s Grand Slam titles were won by beating one of them in the showpiece match as he defeated Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final while Djokovic was beaten at the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open.

Let’s look at those three titles as he beat the Big Three at some stage at all of those runs.

2014 Australian Open

Three-time defending champion Djokovic had won 14 matches in a row against Wawrinka and was 15-2 in the H2H when they met in the quarter-final of the season-opening Grand Slam.

Seeded eighth, the Swiss beat Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 in a match that lasted more than four hours to end the Serbian’s 25-match winning streak at Melbourne Park.

After beating Tomas Berdych in four sets in the semi-final, Wawrinka then claimed his first-ever win over Nadal in the final.

The Spaniard was 12-0, but the Swiss beat him 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 to win his maiden Grand Slam title.

2015 French Open

Grand Slam title No 2 also came on the back of beating two Big Three players during his run as he accounted for Federer’s exit in the quarter-final and then beat Djokovic in the final.

World No 2 Federer was 16-2 ahead in the H2H rivalry when they met on the clay at Roland Garros, but he blew his compatriot away with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win and then followed it up win Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last four.

After beating the great Nadal in the quarter-final and Murray in the semi-final, world No 1 Djokovic must have thought he was on course for a first French Open crown.

But Stan The Man won 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 as he once again beat the world No 1 and world No 2 en route to the title.