Wawrinka's Next Farewell Match

In the Bernese Oberland, too, Stan Wawrinka will try to strike a balance between his farewell celebration and staying focused on tennis. “I’m still first and foremost a competitor,” the three-time Grand Slam champion keeps insisting. Most recently at Wimbledon, the 41-year-old from Vaud once again impressively proved that he is still competitive with a thrilling four-tiebreak battle against Matteo Berrettini.

Before the start of the Swiss Open, Wawrinka held a celebration in Gstaad on Sunday with fans and singer Bastian Baker. On Monday, he is scheduled to play doubles with Jérôme Kym, if the schedule allows. On Tuesday, there will be the traditional "Swiss Day" for singles matches.

Five Swiss riders in the peloton

Kym (ATP 196) is in the main draw thanks to a wild card, as are Kilian Feldbausch (ATP 288) and Dominic Stricker (ATP 343); they are joined by qualifier Dylan Dietrich (ATP 694). After several difficult months without many wins, Kym and Stricker hope to use Gstaad as a springboard, just as they have done in the past. Last year, Kym, from Aargau, reached the quarterfinals for the first time, while Stricker, from Bern, made it to the round of 16 three times at his home tournament. For Feldbausch and Dietrich, this will be their debut on the ATP Tour.

Otherwise, the field is not as strong as it used to be—partly because a few players had to withdraw. For example, two-time champion Berrettini and Jan-Lennard Struff, who sensationally reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon at the age of 36, are missing from the lineup.

Bublik and Ruud Are the Top Favorites

Nevertheless, some top players will be in attendance. The top favorites are Alexander Bublik (ATP No. 11), last year’s champion, and Casper Ruud (ATP No. 12), a specialist in Swiss clay-court tournaments with three titles in Geneva and two in Gstaad. Valentin Vacherot’s (ATP 20) comeback is sure to be exciting as well. The Monegasque player burst onto the scene with his victory at the Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai last fall, but had to withdraw from the French Open due to a stress fracture and missed the short grass-court season.

One player who is finally craving another taste of success is Stefanos Tsitsipas. The charismatic Greek has slipped to No. 87 in the world rankings and is returning to the Saanenland region following his 2024 semifinal appearance. In addition, tournament organizers can still award a third wild card before Saturday’s draw.