Berrettini survives four tie-breaks to end Wawrinka's emotional Wimbledon farewell on London's No. 1 Court

Berrettini survived four tie-breaks and stopped Wawrinka in an emotional farewell to Wimbledon

Matteo Berrettini advanced to the second round of Wimbledon 2026 after one of the tensest matches of the tournament so far. The Italian defeated Stan Wawrinka 6:7 (7-9), 7:6 (18-16), 7:6 (9-7), 7:6 (7-5) on 30 June 2026 on London’s No. 1 Court, in a first-round men’s singles encounter that lasted four hours and 20 minutes. Four sets, four tie-breaks and an almost complete balance on serve turned the duel into an exhausting test of concentration, nerves and physical endurance. According to the official Wimbledon schedule, the match was part of the second competition day of the main tournament, played at the All England Club from 29 June to 12 July. The outcome simultaneously opened Berrettini’s path toward the continuation of the tournament and closed a major chapter of Wawrinka’s career on the grass of SW19.

For Wawrinka, this defeat carried a weight that went beyond the result of the first round. The Swiss tennis player, winner of three Grand Slam titles, had earlier announced that the 2026 season would be his last on the ATP Tour, while Wimbledon highlighted in its tournament preview that this was his 19th and final appearance in the main draw at the All England Club. That is why every point in the final stages of the match carried additional emotional charge. According to the match report, Wawrinka spoke after the encounter about his gratitude toward the tournament and the crowd, stressing that it is difficult to say goodbye to something he loves so much. Berrettini embraced him at the net after the final point, and then encouraged the crowd to send off with ovations a player who had been part of tennis’s biggest stages for more than two decades.

A match with no room for relaxation

The score best shows how little separated the two players. Wawrinka won the first set after a tie-break in which he took advantage of a moment of Berrettini’s uncertainty and closed the section with a big first serve. The Italian responded in the second set, but only after an exceptionally long tie-break that ended 18-16. That part of the match, according to the Outlook India report, was one of the key points of the encounter because Berrettini avoided falling two sets behind and psychologically returned completely to the duel. After the second set, the roof of No. 1 Court was closed, so the closing stages were played in different conditions, under controlled lighting and without external weather influences.

The third set again went to a tie-break, and Berrettini won it 9-7. Wawrinka did not break even then, but also kept his rhythm in the fourth set, returned pressure onto the Italian’s serve and forced his opponent into one more final point-by-point showdown. In the fourth tie-break, Wawrinka had a mini-break, but Berrettini responded with a powerful forehand and restored balance. The Italian then reached match points and converted them for a 7-5 victory in the decisive tie-break of the fourth set. Such an outcome was rare and dramatic even for Wimbledon, a tournament where serve and quick changes of direction often decide tight matches on grass.

The statistics additionally confirm how even the duel was. According to Tennis.com data, Berrettini served 29 aces, while Wawrinka served 18. The Italian won 86 percent of points after landing his first serve, while Wawrinka was at 81 percent, which explains why both protected their opening shot for so long. Both won 23 of 24 service games, and each player converted only one break in the entire encounter. Berrettini used one of six opportunities to take serve, while Wawrinka was more efficient in rare chances and converted one of two break points. In a match in which the return of serve offered minimal room for attack, details in the tie-breaks, calmness in point sequences and the ability to continue playing immediately after missed opportunities without a drop in intensity proved decisive.

Wawrinka’s final Wimbledon and a career that outgrew grass

Wawrinka never won Wimbledon, but his farewell to the tournament was in keeping with the reputation of a player who is most dangerous when a match turns into a physical and mental battle. According to Wimbledon, his best result at the All England Club remains two quarter-finals, achieved in 2014 and 2015. At other Grand Slam tournaments, he reached the peak of his career: he won the Australian Open in 2014, Roland Garros in 2015 and the US Open in 2016, while the ATP lists him as the winner of 16 titles at the highest level and a former world No. 3. His one-handed backhand, one of the most recognisable shots of the modern era, and his ability to play above expectations in major matches made him one of the most respected opponents of his generation.

This match did not change Wawrinka’s Wimbledon record in terms of results, but it confirmed why the crowd still sees him as a player of big stages. At 41 and with a wild card in the main draw, he did not enter the encounter as the favourite against Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist. Still, from the first set he imposed a rhythm that forced the Italian into maximum risk and patience. In many exchanges he used short angles, changes in ball height and powerful backhand down-the-line shots to open the court. Although on grass it is often expected that the younger and stronger server will take control, Wawrinka managed for a long time to neutralise Berrettini’s advantage with the first shot and keep the match in a zone where experience decides.

The emotional moment after the match was expected, but no less powerful. According to the report from the court, Wawrinka told the crowd that he does not want to stop playing, but knows that it is time for the end of his professional career. That sentence describes well his position in the 2026 season: the body and schedule are increasingly demanding, yet the competitive instinct is still visible. In his final Wimbledon appearance, he did not play a symbolic farewell match, but a serious, exhausting and high-quality encounter against a player who knows how to win on grass. That is precisely why the first-round defeat did not feel like a quiet withdrawal, but like a final confirmation of the standard Wawrinka maintained throughout his career.

Berrettini again showed why he is dangerous on grass

For Berrettini, this victory has special value because Wimbledon occupies an important place in his career. The ATP states in his biography that in 2021 he became the first Italian men’s singles finalist in the history of the tournament, which remained one of the most important achievements of Italian men’s tennis before the rise of the new generation. His game naturally fits the grass surface: a powerful serve, a heavy forehand, short exchanges and the ability to play aggressively in a tie-break without too much deviation from the plan. Against Wawrinka, no set came easily, but that is exactly why the victory is an important indicator of competitive stability.

Berrettini had to survive several types of pressure in this encounter. First, he lost the opening set even though it was already clear then that there was almost no difference. Then, in the second set, he had to play a 34-point tie-break, in which every miss could have meant an almost irreversible deficit. In the third and fourth sets, he faced an opponent who, despite fatigue and the emotional context, continued to search for solutions. Instead of accelerating without control, Berrettini stayed with the pattern that suits him best: a high percentage of first serves, a decisive first forehand after the serve and constant readiness to take risks in short exchanges.

Such a victory can be important for the continuation of the tournament, but it does not mean that the path toward the later rounds is simple. Wimbledon is played in a rhythm in which long first-week matches can leave physical consequences, especially when they are decided only after four tie-breaks. Berrettini spent four hours and 20 minutes on court, which is a serious burden for a first round. Still, the fact that he found enough precision in three consecutive tie-breaks after losing the first set shows that he had the more stable performance in the key moments. In tournament terms, that is the difference between an early exit and the possibility of building form through the next rounds.

The broader context of the tournament’s second day

Wawrinka’s farewell and Berrettini’s progress fitted into a turbulent second day of Wimbledon 2026. According to reports from the tournament, a series of first-round matches were played on the same day, bringing major comebacks, surprises and tense finishes. In the men’s part of the draw, attention was also drawn by the appearances of seeds and early exits of certain highly ranked players, while in the women’s tournament strong interest was sparked by Serena Williams’s return to singles competition. In such a schedule, the duel between Wawrinka and Berrettini stood out for the rare structure of its score: no set ended without a tie-break, and the match did not go to a fifth set only because Berrettini finally found the final point in the fourth closing stage.

For the All England Club, such matches have special value because they connect the present and the history of the tournament. Wawrinka represented a generation that marked the previous two decades of men’s tennis, a generation that often played in the shadow of the greatest rivalries, but in his case still managed to win three of the biggest trophies. Berrettini, on the other hand, belongs to a group of players who have already had deep Grand Slam results, but also periods of interruption because of physical problems and a drop in continuity. Their encounter was therefore not only a first-round duel, but also a match between players at different points of their careers: one who is saying goodbye and another who is still trying to reach again the level he has already been at.

From the tournament’s perspective, Berrettini’s progress means that a player with proven Wimbledon value remains in the draw. From Wawrinka’s perspective, the defeat means the end of his appearances at the only Grand Slam he never won, but not the end of the story of his influence on tennis. On No. 1 Court, he left his final Wimbledon image, one that was true to his career: strong resistance, attacking courage, a one-handed backhand under pressure and a defeat that the crowd received as an opportunity for recognition, not only as a sporting result. Berrettini moved on, but the evening equally belonged to Wawrinka, a player who said goodbye to Wimbledon without a trophy, but with a match that reminded everyone why he was so respected.

Sources:
- Wimbledon – official schedule, results and preview of the men’s first-round matches at Wimbledon 2026. (link)
- Wimbledon – preview of the match Stan Wawrinka against Matteo Berrettini and the context of Wawrinka’s final appearance at SW19 (link)
- ATP Tour – Wimbledon 2026 schedule and basic context of the main tournament (link)
- ATP Tour – announcement about Wawrinka’s statement that 2026 would be his final season on the Tour (link)
- ATP Tour – biographical data on Matteo Berrettini and his Wimbledon 2021 final (link)
- Tennis.com – match result and statistics of the Wawrinka - Berrettini encounter (link)
- Outlook India – match flow, duration of the encounter, statements and description of Stan Wawrinka’s farewell to Wimbledon (link)