The oldest Challenger Tour champions ever as Stan Wawrinka aims to break the record in Rennes

Stan Wawrinka is on the verge of making history at a Challenger Tour event in Rennes.

The three-time Grand Slam champion, who was not awarded a wildcard for this year’s US Open, is closing in on his first title since 2020, having reached the final of the Open de Rennes, where he will play first seed Hugo Gaston.

Wawrinka has struggled this year at ATP Tour-level competitions, crashing out in the early stages of several tournaments, but he has found some success on the Challenger circuit.

He recently made the semifinals in Cancun, and earlier this season, he advanced to the final in Aix-en-Provence before suffering defeat to Borna Coric.

Now, however, Wawrinka is bidding to become the oldest Challenger Tour champion in history.

The oldest Challenger Tour champions in history

The record is currently held by Ivo Karlovic, who clinched the 2018 title in Calgary at the age of 39 years and seven months.

Since then, a handful of stars have claimed titles in their late 30s, but have not been able to surpass Karlovic.

Fernando Verdasco won the Monterrey crown in 2022 at 38 years and three months, before Richard Gasquet emerged victorious at the Cassis Challenger event in 2024.

Wawrinka, now aged 40 years and eight months, has his second chance of the year to secure the record, having failed to do so in Aix-en-Provence.

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His opponent, Gaston, holds a 1-0 winning record against him, having beaten the Swiss star in the third round of the 2020 French Open.

Stan Wawrinka’s struggles at tour-level events in 2025

Wawrinka kicked off his 2025 campaign at the Australian Open, where, in round one, he was taken out by Lorenzo Sonego.

He continued to play on the ATP circuit, but suffered three more consecutive first-round exits in Montpellier, Rotterdam, and Marseille, before featuring at a Challenger event for the first time this season in Naples.

His sole appearance at a Masters 1000 competition came to an end in the first round when he lost to Alejandro Tabilo, and the veteran’s Grand Slam season finished up at Roland Garros, where he bowed out in his opening match with Jacob Fearnley.

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