ATP Tour

Wawrinka's rivalries with Djokovic, Federer & Murray

Few players have left as indelible a mark on tennis history as Stan Wawrinka, the Swiss star known for his powerful ground game and remarkable resilience. 

Wawrinka’s journey to greatness was not only defined by his trophies — including three Grand Slam crowns and another at the ATP Masters 1000 level — but also by the intense Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalries that shaped his career.

The 41-year-old’s biggest rivals included Novak Djokovic, countryman Roger Federer and Andy Murray — all members of tennis’ “Big Four” (along with Rafael Nadal), an elite group that many feel Wawrinka was also a part of at the peak of his powers.

ATPTour.com looks back at the history of those matchups, which played a major part in the story of Wawrinka’s career.

Wawrinka vs. Djokovic (Lexus ATP Head2Head: 6-21)
Wawrinka recorded just six tour-level wins against Djokovic, but two of them came in Grand Slam finals and a third came en route to another major title.

"It was a part of my career that I was playing such a good level that I knew when I was entering on court against Novak in a Grand Slam, I was able to beat him," Wawrinka said of those three results that came from 2014-16, a span during which he reached a career-high of No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Wawrinka beat Djokovic to win his third Grand Slam title at the 2016 US Open. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.

Wawrinka’s 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 victory in the 2014 Australian Open quarter-finals snapped a 14-match winning streak in the rivalry for Djokovic, with the Swiss going on to win his first major crown that fortnight in Melbourne. The defeat also avenged an epic defeat to Djokovic — 12-10 in the fifth set after more than five hours — at the 2013 Aussie Open.

Djokovic won another Melbourne marathon against Wawrinka in the 2015 semi-finals — the pair’s third straight five-setter at the event — but the Swiss made amends in their very next meeting with a four-set win in that year’s Roland Garros final.

Wawrinka also defeated Djokovic to win the 2016 US Open, battling back from a set down to claim his third Slam title. They would not meet again until the 2019 US Open, when Wawrinka advanced via retirement after taking a two-set lead. It was the only time the Swiss won consecutive matches in their history.

At the ATP Masters 1000s, this rivalry was all Djokovic. The Serbian owned a 10-0 record against Wawrinka at that prestigious level, including a three-set victory in the 2008 Rome final. The Serbian was also a perfect 2-0 against Wawrinka at the Nitto ATP Finals, with straight-sets wins in 2013 (semi-finals) and 2014 (group stage).

Wawrinka vs. Federer (Lexus ATP Head2Head 3-23)
Federer dominated this rivalry and had a head start in putting Swiss tennis on the map as Wawrinka was finding his footing as a professional. It has been suggested that Federer’s legendary career cast a shadow over his countryman, but Wawrinka never harboured any ill will. The reality is quite the contrary: Wawrinka considers Federer an inspiration and one of his best friends.

Outside of their one-sided rivalry, the pair also won Olympic gold in men’s doubles at the 2008 Beijing Games and teamed up to lead Switzerland to the 2014 Davis Cup title.

Wawrinka and Federer celebrate winning Olympic men's doubles gold in 2008, with Federer warming his hands next to the red-hot Wawrinka. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.

Four years Federer’s junior, Wawrinka’s three victories in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series all came on big stages: two at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and a third on the way to the 2015 Roland Garros title. The Monte-Carlo wins came in their third overall meeting in 2009 and again in the final of the prestigious clay-court event in 2014.

“It’s amazing for me. It’s always special to play against Roger, my best friend and the best player ever,” Wawrinka said after that 2014 match. “It’s always difficult to play him, especially in the final.”

That 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 victory earned Wawrinka his lone ATP Masters 1000 crown and came a few months after he claimed the first of his three Grand Slam titles at the 2014 Australian Open. One year later, Wawrinka scored a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(4) result against Federer in the Roland Garros quarter-finals as part of his path to his second major.

All told, the pair also battled 12 times at ATP Masters 1000s (10-2 Federer), eight times at Grand Slams (7-1 Federer), and twice at the Nitto ATP Finals (2-0 Federer). They also competed once on home soil, with Federer winning in Basel in 2011.

Wawrinka vs. Murray (Lexus ATP Head2Head 10-13)
Both three-time Grand Slam champions, Wawrinka and Murray each had claims to be part of a “Big 4” alongside Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic during their own legendary careers. Separated by just two years in age, their rivalry spanned 20 years on the ATP Tour, from 2005-24.

Their clashes often showcased contrasting styles, pitting Wawrinka's aggressive shotmaking and sheer power against Murray's tactical precision and defensive prowess. These different approaches added an intriguing dynamic to their encounters, a compelling narrative across the game’s biggest stages.

Wawrinka lost to Murray in the 2008 Doha final. Photo by Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images.

The Swiss won the first two of their Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, and later won three in a row from 2013-15, including at the 2013 US Open and at the 2015 Nitto ATP Finals. While Murray claimed both of their tour-level finals (Doha 2008, Antwerp 2019), the pair split two of their highest-stakes matches in consecutive semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2016 and 2017.

Wawrinka held a 5-3 edge against Murray at the majors, with the rivals meeting at every Grand Slam but the Australian Open. It was an even 3-3 split at the ATP Masters 1000s, with four of those matchups going three sets.

"It's great to play against each other for so many years on tour now,” Wawrinka said after their second-to-last tour-level meeting, a three-set win for Murray in Cincinnati in 2022. “We are getting old but it's always fun, always a big battle. I think we know each other so well. It's always special to play against each other."

Wawrinka beat Murray in the pair's 23rd and final Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting at Roland Garros in 2024. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.

In 2023, their rivalry even extended to the ATP Challenger Tour, with Wawrinka beating Murray in the first meeting between former Grand Slam champions at that level in more than 40 years. Wawrinka also had the final say at tour-level, beating Murray in straight sets in a box-office showdown in the 2024 Roland Garros first round.