Wawrinka Returns Home For One Last Bow In Gstaad

Stan Wawrinka
Stan Wawrinka (photo: Breakpoint Images by Meierhans)

GSTAAD/WASHINGTON, July 14, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

The 58th edition of the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad has returned to this upscale resort town in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps in southwestern Switzerland, near the border with France, as the ATP Tour reverts to European red clay for the remainder of the month before the North American hard-court swing begins leading up to the US Open in late August.

Defending champion Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan is this year’s top seed and he’s going after his second tour-level title of the season after winning his first one in Hong Kong last January.

The World No. 11 Bublik is joined by a quality group of clay-court players vying for this year’s title on Roy Emerson Arena, named after the 12-time major champion and five-time winner of the Gstaad tournament: No. 2 seed and two-time Gstaad champion Casper Ruud of Norway; No. 3 seed Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, who is making his debut, and his cousin No. 4 seed Arthur Rinderknech of France, who reached the quarterfinals in 2021.

On Thursday, Bublik will begin defense of his Gstaad title against No. 90 Quentin Halys of France, who advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6) win over 184th-ranked Italian qualifier Federico Cina in two hours and five minutes on Court 1 Tuesday.

The remaining Gstaad seeds include: No. 5 Ignacio Buse of Peru, a semifinalist last year, who lost Tuesday to Stefanos Tsitsipas; No. 6 Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina, who was runner-up to Bublik last year; No. 7 Raphael Collignon of Belgium, and No. 8. Jaume Munar of Spain, who was upset in the first round Monday by 360th-ranked Swiss wild card Dominic Stricker.

Wawrinka’s farewell appearance comes 23 years after debut

While it’s been 22 years since the last time a Swiss player won the Gstaad title, when Roger Federer lifted the champion’s trophy after defeating Igor Andreev, this year a sentimental favorite in 41-year-old Stan Wawrinka has graced the 28-player draw. 

The former World No. 3 from Lausanne, who is currently ranked No. 117, returned to Gstaad this week to bid farewell after making his ATP Tour debut at this event in 2003 at age 18. Although he’s never captured the Swiss Open title, he was a finalist in 2005 and he’s won 10 career matches in Gstaad.

Late Tuesday afternoon, after the temperature peaked at 28 degrees (Celsius; 83 degrees Fahrenheit) – thanks to the warm and sunny conditions – Wawrinka took center stage on Roy Emerson Arena to face 22-year-old Jaime Faria of Portugal, ranked No. 92.

The red-and-white Yonex-clad Wawrinka walked out to a standing ovation from the faithful Swiss fans, many who were waving familiar square-shaped Switzerland flags featuring a bold, white upright Greek cross centered on a vivid red background.

Their first-time meeting came in Wawrinka’s 14th and final appearance in Gstaad before he retires at the end of the season, aiming to become the second-oldest match winner in tournament history at 41 years and three months. A win would advance him to face World No. 13 Casper Ruud in the second round.

As it happened, Wawrinka went down to defeat against Faria, who was making his tournament debut, 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-4, in two hours and 37 minutes. However, it was not without Wawrinka putting up a good fight.

After striking nine aces and dropping just one point on his first serve, while facing no break points, Wawrinka and Faria settled the 63-minute first set by playing a tiebreaker. It was won by Wawrinka, 10-8, after he saved three set points and won on his second set-point opportunity after Faria committed an unforced error while hitting a third-shot backhand return. Wawrinka won three more points than Faria, 45-42, after hitting 13 winners to 13 unforced errors.

Then, on serve through the first nine games of the second set, Faria converted his only break-point opportunity by putting away a 10-shot rally with a brilliant cross-court backhand winner to claim the set, 6-4, and level the first-round match. It set the stage for a decider after an hour and 47 minutes.

As the final set unfolded, there was very little margin for error between the two competitors as each held their ground. Faria saved three break points to climb out of danger in the opening game, then saved another break point in the fifth game before holding. Wawrinka remained effective during his service games and the partisan Swiss crowd cheered loudly after every point the Swiss star won. Even at 4-all, Faria held at love to pull ahead 5-4, putting the pressure on Wawrinka to hold or go home as the match reached the two-and-a-half-hour mark. 

The resilient Faria gained a match point at 15-40 after winning a net-cord point, and beat Wawrinka after capping a 10-shot exchange with an overhead smash winner. He struck 14 aces and won 81 percent of his first-serve points (52 of 64). Faria saved all six break points he faced and converted two of two break points. He outpointed Wawrinka 106-99. By comparison, Wawrinka fired 16 aces and won 77 percent (43 of 56) of his first-serve points.

Afterward, Wawrinka was feted with an on-court ceremony featuring several of his former Swiss Davis Cup teammates. He was given a commemorative pair of snow skies by tournament organizers, and a film of his career highlights was shown on the video board, which ended with the words: “Gstaad will never forget you Stan.”

Around the Roy Emerson Arena

• In an all-Swiss first-round match-up on Roy Emerson Arena, 186th-ranked Swiss wild card Jerome Kym pulled out a two-and-one-half hour nail-biter over 21-year-old Swiss qualifier Dylan Dietrich, ranked 618th, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 7-6 (5). Kym came back from 3-1 down to get the final set to a tiebreaker, then won the final three points of the match.

The 23-year-old Kym, a former junior World No. 5, earned his first ATP Tour wins in Gstaad last year. He defeated Calvin Hemery in the first round and Francesco Passaro in the second round before falling to Arthur Cazaux in the quarterfinals to become the first Swiss quarterfinalist at the event since Stan Wawrinka in 2013. 

Kym helped lead Switzerland to a 4-0 Davis Cup win over Tunisia in February by defeating Moez Echargui for his only other tour-level win this season. On the ATP Challenger Tour circuit, Kym compiled a 57-38 win-loss record and won two titles in 2024, at Prostejov and Zug.

“For me, it’s feels like relief to come through here,” Kym said during his on-court interview. “I just kept of fighting and I’m happy I won it.” 

In winning the final set tie-break, Kym said he tried to take it “point by point and to do my best.”

Next, Kym will face No. 85 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who upset No. 5 seed Ignacio Buse of Peru, 6-4, 6-4, in an hour and 36 minutes on Roy Emerson Arena, in back of six aces. He converted three of 10 break points and outpointed Buse 76-60.

Tsitsipas, who is making his second appearance in Gstaad after reaching the semifinals in 2024, broke a five-match losing streak against Top-50 opponents and earned his first win since defeating World No. 11 Alexander Bublik at the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid last April.

• No. 6 seed Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina, a finalist last year, advanced to the second round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over 153rd-ranked Czech Zdenek Kolar in two hours and eight minutes on Roy Emerson Arena. The 45th-ranked Cerundolo hit 11 aces and won 82 percent (36 of 44) of his first-serve points. He converted two of six break points and outpointed Kolar 94-86. Twenty-six of Cerundolo’s 36 tour-level victories have come on clay. Next, he will face No. 59 Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia in the second round on Thursday.

• No. 51 Yannick Hanfmann of Germany reached the second round with 7-6 (6), 6-1 win over 157th-ranked Pedro Martinez of Spain in one hour and 36 minutes on Court 1. Hanfmann struck 13 winners and dropped just two points on his first serve. He faced no break points and outpoined Martinez 71-49. Next, Hanfmann will play No. 3 seed Valentin Vacherot of Monaco in the second round on Wednesday.

• In doubles, No. 1 seeds Lucas Miedler of Austria and Marc Polmans of Australia advanced to the quarterfinal round with a 6-3, 7-6 (1) win over Raphael Collignon of Belgium and Arthur Rinderknech of France.

Tuesday’s EFG Swiss Open results

Wednesday’s EFG Swiss Open order of play

By the numbers

Among the three Swiss players receiving wild cards into the 28-player main draw, two of them – Dominic Stricker and Jerome Kym – won their first-round matches. Only Kilian Feldbausch failed to advance to the second round.

“Quotable …”

“In the beginning, the conditions – the altitude – of the first match were difficult. It was hard to play well. I’m happy to come back and get the win. It’s hotter than last year. I remember last it was raining. They say it’s going to rain in a few days, so let’s see.”

– No. 45 Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina, during his on-court interview, after defeating Zdenek Kolar of Czechia to advance to the second round.

 

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