On Monday, August 31, Stan Wawrinka walked into Grandstand to play a match and left carrying twenty years of New York with him. Matteo Berrettini won their 2026 US Open first-round meeting 7-6(4), 7-6(3), 6-0, but the score was only one part of the night: a packed crowd turned the Swiss player's farewell into a celebration of his bond with the tournament.
A last-minute wild card gave Wawrinka the chance to complete his farewell to all four majors on court. At 41, in the season that will bring his tour career to a close, he made his 18th and final appearance at Flushing Meadows. His debut came in 2005; this goodbye completed a run of 63 singles matches and a 46-17 record at the event.
For two sets, the tennis matched the occasion. Wawrinka recovered a break in the opener to reach 5-5, created opportunities to alter the direction of the match and pushed Berrettini into another tiebreak in the second. The Italian handled the decisive points better, won both breakers and cleared the way for a final-set bagel once the effort began to weigh on the Swiss.
The defeat does not change why New York holds a distinct place in Wawrinka's career. He reached the semifinals in 2013 and 2015. In 2016, he won the third of his three major titles there, beating Novak Djokovic in four sets in the final. It completed a rare sequence: the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 Roland Garros and 2016 US Open, three trophies in three years and three victories over a reigning World No. 1 in those finals.
That history also explains the intensity of the farewell. Grandstand filled for a player who was no longer being measured only by his chances of moving through the draw. Every backhand acceleration recalled his peak; every ovation recognised a career that found its own place in the era of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic without trying to imitate any of them.
Wawrinka later said the level had been high for two sets, but that finishing opportunities becomes harder when victories are less frequent and confidence is more difficult to carry. It was a clear-eyed assessment that did not romanticise the result. What the crowd gave him, however, did not depend on the standings: it was recognition for coming back one final time.
During the ceremony, Wawrinka thanked the tournament for the invitation and the New York energy he had felt since his first visit. “I'm gonna miss it big time,” he said. Berrettini, who spoke of growing up watching the Swiss win majors, shared centre stage and allowed the farewell to own the moment.
Wawrinka will continue through the end of the season, but his Grand Slam chapter closed where he won his last one. There was no new run to extend the story. There was something more exact: one final night that showed how the 2016 champion could remain present in New York even as the score pointed toward the exit.
Sources consulted: the US Open/USTA and ATP Tour. Reporting updated September 1, 2026.