In control, Stan The Man?

An opening round with no apparent warning signs for the Swiss in Dubai

Stan is putting together a solid and consistent start to the 2026 season. Physically, he hasn’t shown any worrying signs so far, and the way he’s managing his schedule is quite smart. He hasn’t played for about ten days, which has allowed him to recover and calmly prepare for this appointment. His level of play is steady, the intensity is there, and there’s nothing to suggest he’s in a phase where playing against him would represent a particular opportunity.

On the other side, Hassan remains a player very little known to the general public. Mainly competing on the Challenger tour, he’s benefiting here from a wild card. Naturally, he has nothing to lose in this kind of match and will be able to play freely, but his profile doesn’t really suggest any real upset potential.

So far, he has never managed to spring a surprise against players of this calibre, and nothing in his recent track record suggests that this match could be an exception.

The context therefore seems quite clear. Wawrinka should be able to impose his rhythm, take control of the rallies with his backhand, and comfortably handle the important moments. Barring a major collapse or lack of commitment, we can picture a fairly comfortable win for the Swiss in this first round of the ATP Dubai tournament.