Stan Wawrinka may be wondering what he got himself into when he announced his 2026 retirement tour. At this rate, it may not last until the end of January. Over the last two nights in the United Cup, the 40-year-old has played two marathon three-set matches against significantly younger opponents. He won the first, over Arthur Rinderknech, 7-6 in the third, and almost won the second, against 23-year-old Flavio Cobolli, before finally running out of gas at the finish line and falling by the same score.
Elsewhere, it was a fairly one-sided night in the team competition. Germany beat the Netherlands 3-0, Canada beat China 3-0, Great Britain beat Japan 2-1. The most notable non-Stan result may have been Naomi Osaka’s second straight defeat, to 276th-ranked Katie Swan, who was filling in for an injured Emma Raducanu.
What’s next in Sydney and Perth? Here’s a look at Monday’s lineup. Stan, it seems safe to say, will be happy to have the night off.
