ROTTERDAM/WASHINGTON, February 11, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
Three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka has been a welcome figure on the ATP Tour for the past 20 years. At 40, the Lausanne, Switzerland native recently announced that the 2026 season would be his last one. Everywhere he’s played over the past month in his farewell to pro tennis, at the United Cup in Perth and Sydney, at the Australian Open in Melbourne, and at the Open Occitanie in southern France, Wawrinka has been welcomed with open arms from tournament organizers and fans.
Interviewed earlier this season by the ATP Tour website, Wawrinka said he’s good with his decision to announce this is his last year. However, he added: “I’m not doing a year just to say goodbye.
“I’m a competitor. I want to push my limit; I want to still fight against good players. I want to still win matches. I want to try to be back at the Top 100 at 40 years old.”
On Wednesday at the ABN-Amro Open, the 106th-ranked wild card faced 17-year-old Dutch lucky loser Thijs Boogaard, who was making his ATP Tour debut. With a 23-year and three-month age different between the two competitors, it marked the second-largest age gap in ATP Tour history, trailing only Dominic Thiem‘s 2011 win over Thomas Muster by two years and eight months.
| Change of plans!
17 y/o Thijs Boogaard replaces Aleksandar Vukic in the main draw as a lucky loser and faces 40 y/o Stan Wawrinka imminently!
What a way to make his ATP main draw & #abnamroopen debut pic.twitter.com/PtYYHiTUT7
— ABN AMRO Open (@abnamroopen) February 11, 2026
Wawrinka, who garnered the 2015 Rotterdam title in the Dutch port city, brought a 4-6 win-loss record into his first-round match on Centre Court inside Rotterdam Ahoy and beat Boogaard, 6-3, 6-4, in an hour and 22 minutes. It sets up an intriguing second-round match for Wawrinka with World No. 8 and tournament top seed Alex de Minaur of Australia, who was impressive in his first-round win over No. 42 Arthur Fils of France on Tuesday.
Stunning from Stan
The 2015 Champion starts his Rotterdam campaign with a straight set win over Thijs Boogaard#ABNAmroOpen pic.twitter.com/iiSrN13Wqg
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 11, 2026
The Swiss star, for one, looks forward to facing de Minaur. “He’s a tough player,” Wawrinka said during his on-court interview after defeating Boogaard. “Especially in these conditions, it’s going to be difficult to generate something. But I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ve been playing some good matches against top players, so I’m always trying to push myself and to enjoy that.”
When looking back on his personal #abnamroopen history, Stan Wawrinka takes a moment to reflect on facing Roger Federer, 21 years ago!#ontopoftennis #atptour #tennis #stanwawrinka pic.twitter.com/k4EPyg1jCj
— ABN AMRO Open (@abnamroopen) February 11, 2026
With his fifth victory this season, Wawrinka has surpassed his 2024 total and it was his ninth tour-level win since turning 40, tying him with Ivo Karlovic (9, set from 2019-21), and moving him ahead of Jimmy Connors (8, 1992-95). The Swiss star also broke his own record set in 2023 for oldest match winner in Rotterdam tournament history.
“Throughout my career I do feel like I maximized everything I could; that always has been my goal and it’s still on for the last year,” Wawrinka told the ATP Tour website. “It was always to push my own limits and I achieved way more than I could dream when I was young.”
Rotterdam is where legacy crosses paths with the future. Dutch teenager Thijs Boogaard makes his ATP debut while 2015 #abnamroopen champion Stan Wawrinka boards his last ride.#ontopoftennis #atptour #tennis pic.twitter.com/R2dejHBAQs
— ABN AMRO Open (@abnamroopen) February 11, 2026
As for playing an opponent 23 years his junior in Boogaard, Wawrinka said: “I’m happy with the way I was playing today. He has many years [ahead] on tour, for sure. I was really happy with the level today. I was focused on my serve, trying to be aggressive because the conditions are slow. It’s never really easy to dictate but I’m happy with my level so far.”
Wawrinka finished with nine aces and won all but three of his first-serve points (28 of 31, 90 percent). He saved all three break points he faced from Boogaard and outpointed him 67-54.
Winning still means a lot to Wawrinka and he received an appreciative ovation at the end of his match.
“Of course, that’s why I keep playing. I want to win, I’m a competitor. It’s important to finish well.”
The Wawrinka calling card
You just knew it was coming…#ABNAmroOpen pic.twitter.com/Dvepiy9YBA
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 11, 2026
Around the Rotterdam Ahoy
• While No. 7 seed Tallon Griekspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp, as well as for Dutch junior champion Mees Röttgoring, have been grabbing much of the attention among the Dutch players entered in the singles main draw, on Wednesday, two others – 169th-ranked wild card Guy Den Ouden and No. 86 Jesper de Jong – finally saw first-round action, with mixed results.
The 23-year-old Den Ouden upset 49th-ranked Marton Fucsovics of Hungary, 7-6 (5), 6-1, after fending off 11 of 12 break points. However, de Jong fell to World No. 18 and fifth seed Karen Khachanov of Russia after winning the opening set, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, in two hours and 23 minutes. Both matches took place on Court 1.
Go Guy!
A winning debut for Dutchman Den Ouden. The wildcard downs former finalist Marton Fucsovics: 7-6 6-1. #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/RbgBLCPozn
— ABN AMRO Open (@abnamroopen) February 11, 2026
• No. 3 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan managed to survive his first-round match against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland and spoiled the Polish star’s 29th birthday. The World No. 10 rallied from a set down and pulled out a satisfying 6-7 (2), 7-6 (1), 7-5 victory in two hours and 22 minutes. Bublik fired 13 aces, including on match point, and hit 34 winners overall. He withstood 51 winners from Hurkacz.
With the victory Bublik has tied Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev for third-most indoor wins since 2020 with 62. They trail Felix Auger-Aliassime (89) and Jannik Sinner (83).
• No. 6 seed Cameron Norrie was denied his 250th tour-level win (249-184) as he lost to 119th-ranked Australian qualifier Christopher O’Connell, 7-6 (9), 6-4, in an hour and 57 minutes behind 12 aces on Court 1.
• No. 8 seed Arthur Rinderknech of France was ousted by No. 32 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, 7-5, 6-3, in an hour and 21 minutes on Centre Court. Tsitsipas, who is 5-0 lifetime in first-round matches at Rotterdam, dropped just five points on his first serve and saved the only break point he faced from the 28th-ranked Rinderknech.
Winning beginnings for Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Our former finalist made it past Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets: 7-5 6-3. ✅
Next up: local hero Botic van de Zandschulp pic.twitter.com/R5VG8v8Lfq
— ABN AMRO Open (@abnamroopen) February 11, 2026
Wednesday’s ABN-Amro Open results
Thursday’s ABN-Amro Open order of play
By the numbers
Tallon Griekspoor‘s straight-set win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Tuesday was his 11th victory in Rotterdam, which tied him with Tom Okker for the fourth-most among Dutchmen in tournament history.
“Quotable …”
“I enjoy playing indoors, and I really like playing here. Rotterdam has come at the right moment for me this season. This year I’ve already faced several big servers, and last month in Australia, I was up against around 25 aces per match. Mpetshi Perricard is similar in that regard, an incredibly tough serve. I’ve been working a lot on my return in recent months, but against him, it still felt really difficult today. So it’s nice to win in straight sets.”
– Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, during his post-match interview Tuesday after defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, as quoted by the tournament website.
