How Stan Wawrinka's retirement announcement will affect Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is showing no signs of slowing down after another successful year on the tour. However, the same can't be said of his rivals. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray retired in quick succession over the past few years. Now, three-time Major champion Stan Wawrinka is about to join the list next year.

Wawrinka took to social media on Friday, December 19, to announce that he will be done with tennis for good by the end of the 2026 season. He's currently 40 years old and has been competing on the tour since 2002. More than two decades later, he's finally ready to call it quits.

The upcoming retirement of Wawrinka would leave Djokovic and Marin Cilic as the only active players to win a Grand Slam in the 2010s. All of these players are from the same generation. Time and tide wait for none, and while the Swiss' decision to call it quits isn't surprising, one can't help but feel that all of this is leading to the end of an era.

For Djokovic, this would mean another big rival from his heyday is set to retire before him. He crossed paths with Wawrinka quite often in his career, contesting some memorable matches over the years. While the Serb leads their head-to-head 21-6, Wawrinka won two of their most important matches, the French Open 2015 and US Open 2016 finals.

Wawrinka stopped Djokovic from completing the Career Grand Slam by beating him in the French Open final. Nevertheless, he would accomplish the feat the following year in Paris with a win over Murray in the final. However, that wouldn't have been possible without Wawrinka crushing his hopes a year ago.

Djokovic has often cited the importance of rivals, and how seeing others playing at a high level inspired him to raise his own standards. When he arrived on the tour, Federer and Nadal were dominating the scene. He broke their streak of 11 consecutive Major titles between them with his triumph at the Australian Open 2008.

Nadal and Federer were the benchmark for Djokovic, and he strived to surpass them. Murray also became one of his fiercest rivals, while the likes of Juan Martin del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and others also played a huge role in shaping his career.

Following his victory at the Australian Open 2021, Djokovic emphasized on how Nadal and Federer motivated him through the years, and how he has done the same for them. They wouldn't have accomplished so much without the presence of each other.

"Roger and Rafa inspire me. That's something that I've said before, I'll say it again. I think as long as they go, I'll go. In a way it's like a race [of] who plays tennis more, I guess, and who wins more. It's a competition between us in all areas. But I think that's the very reason why we are who we are, because we do drive each other, we motivate each other, we push each other to the limit," Djokovic said.

Djokovic is the last remaining player from his generation of greats who's still competing on the tour. However, the thought of retirement could be brewing in his mind in the wake of Wawrinka's decision to drive off into the sunset.

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Stan Wawrinka's retirement could cause Novak Djokovic to rethink his decision to continue playing

Novak Djokovic at the Hellenic Championship 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Even before the news of Stan Wawrinka's retirement, Novak Djokovic was often pestered during his press conferences this year regarding his own retirement. He was recently asked the same during his time in Athens for a tournament. While he has entertained that thought, he stated he will eventually walk away on his own terms, and not on someone else's timeline.

"Yes, I’ve thought about it more than once, that’s for sure. But I refuse to talk about it. I simply want to enjoy moments like today on the court. Like Stan Wawrinka, I say: ‘Leave me alone. Let me play and have fun.’ There is no countdown. Of course, the idea has crossed my mind, but I play at my own pace, when I want to, not when others think I should stop," Djokovic said.

Djokovic won two titles in 2025, bringing his career haul to 101 trophies. However, his goal of a 25th Major title remained out of his grasp. He fell in the semifinals of all four Majors. He's still competitive, though he's getting bested more often by his newest rivals, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic will be 39 years old next year. While he doubled down on competing for as long as possible this year, nothing is set in stone at this stage of a player's career. The retirement of his peers could force him to reevaluate his own decision to continue playing. While he tasted success in 2025 despite his recurring injuries, that may not be the case in 2026.

However, if Djokovic is healthy, then as long as he's motivated, he's not going to stop competing. He has always found new goals for himself after breaking records. While his old rivals are fading away, he has already established new rivalries. With his talent and resilience, it does feel like he's going to be around for quite some time.