Wawrinka exits Monte Carlo for the last time

Stan Wawrinka exited the Monte-Carlo Masters with a 7–5, 7–5 loss to Sebastián Báez in the first round, bringing an end to his final appearance at the event.

The 41-year-old, playing as a wildcard, confirmed it was his 16th and last time competing in Monaco.

Wawrinka, who won the event in 2014, is in the closing stages of his career and has already indicated that 2026 will be his final season on tour.

On the same courts where he once lifted the title, he produced stretches of clean ball-striking, particularly off the backhand, but was unable to convert key points in a match that remained close throughout.

Both sets followed a similar pattern, with extended games and few clear openings on return. 

Báez held his level in the decisive moments, while Wawrinka was left chasing from narrow deficits that he could not recover.

The result adds to a limited run of wins this season, though the focus around his schedule has shifted toward marking the final stretch of his career rather than building ranking position. 

Hence, his appreciation at the Monte Carlo Masters holds some significance, despite his performance. 

He is set to continue on clay at the Barcelona Open, again entering with a wildcard, before moving on to qualifying events at the Italian Open in Rome and the Geneva Open. 

A place in the main draw at French Open remains dependent on results across those tournaments.

Further ahead, attention turns to the indoor swing, where the Swiss Indoors Basel stands out as a potential final stage in front of a home crowd, although he is yet to decide on where to play his last match. 

Wawrinka has also mentioned the possibility of extending his schedule depending on how his body responds in the coming months.

The Swiss player is quite determined to make the most of his remaining time in the sport by touching down at venues that have marked his career in some form.