Stan Wawrinka’s career spans so long that he is now facing opponents like Flavio Cobolli, whose dad he has also played against.
Wawrinka is competing at the Lyon Open this week, where he has won his first main ATP Tour match since May, in the penultimate tournament of his career.
As a result of winning his first round match at 41 years old, Wawrinka has set up a meeting against top seed Cobolli.
This will not be the first time that Wawrinka plays against Flavio Cobolli, but he also once faced his father, Stefano Cobolli, all the way back in 2003.
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Stan Wawrinka lost to Flavio Cobolli’s Dad when they played in 2003
Wawrinka made his ATP Tour debut in 2003, when he was just 18 years old, but he was still primarily competing on the lower-level Challenger Tour.
This includes competing at the Challenger event in Brindisi, Italy, where he would face Stefano Cobolli after reaching the quarter-finals.
Despite winning the first set of the match, Wawrinka would end up losing to Stefano 4-6, 6-3 6-3.
This is the only time Wawrinka would ever play against Stefano Cobolli, but he is still competing on the ATP Tour 23 years later when the latter’s son is now a top 10 player.
Stefano Cobolli would never break into the top 200, but he is still a feature on the ATP Tour as he is now Flavio’s coach, having helped his son reach his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros this year.
Stan Wawrinka vs Flavio Cobolli Head-to-Head
Wawrinka may never have beaten Stefano Cobolli, but he now has the opportunity to do so against Flavio Cobolli in Lyon.
This is not something he has ever done before, with Wawrinka losing both of his two previous matches against Flavio Cobolli.
Both of these matches have been tight three-set battles, including Cobolli beating Wawrinka at the United Cup earlier this year.
| Year | Tournament | Result |
| 2024 | Shanghai Masters (R64) | Cobolli beat Wawrinka, 6(6)-7 7-6(4) 6-3 |
| 2026 | United Cup | Cobolli beat Wawrinka, 6-4 6(2)-7 7-6(4) |
A lot of attention for this match will be on Wawrinka, who is playing the final matches of his decorated career, but it is also an important match for Cobolli as well.
Cobolli still needs to confirm his place into the ATP Finals, and after some disappointing recent results he will be hoping to rediscover his form against Wawrinka as he attempts to get himself over the line.
