Stan Wawrinka’s best-known tattoo is Samuel Beckett’s line “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” in black script along his left forearm. Wawrinka said he had carried the words in mind for years before having them tattooed.
The Samuel Beckett quote covers the left forearm
A close photograph shows the lettering from near the elbow toward the wrist, with “Fail again. Fail better” clear at the wrist end. The quote is the main design on the forearm.
Wawrinka has identified the line as a passage from Samuel Beckett’s Worstward Ho. He said it spoke to trying again after losses; that explanation comes from him, not from reading extra meaning into the script.
His one-handed backhand and serve often bring the forearm into match photographs. The inscription changes shape as his wrist turns, but the words remain recognizable.
The full inscription is arranged as flowing black script
The design is text alone, without an image or border. Fine black script follows the curve of the arm.
The lettering preserves the full sentence and punctuation, including the closing instruction to “fail better.”
The tattoo appears during Wawrinka’s match celebrations
Match photographs catch the tattoo when Wawrinka extends his arm with a racket or raises it after a point. These are playing moments, not posed tattoo portraits.
A close crop makes the wording readable; wider court images show it as a dark line along the forearm.
The Beckett line became associated with his Grand Slam rise
The inscription was reported before Wawrinka’s 2014 Australian Open title, where he beat Rafael Nadal in the final. The quote already existed before that breakthrough.
He later won the French Open in 2015 and the US Open in 2016. Those titles brought the line wider attention, especially its final instruction to “fail better.”
The tattoo does not name a tournament or depict tennis. Its connection to Wawrinka’s career comes from his explanation and from how it appears in match coverage.
Portraits keep the tattoo separate from Wawrinka’s face and public image
Studio portraits put Wawrinka’s face and expression in view, while close forearm photographs show the tattoo’s script and placement. A face portrait alone does not document the design.
When sleeves cover his forearm, the inscription may disappear; in short sleeves and match photos, it is often visible. It remains one part of his appearance rather than the focus of every portrait.
What Stan Wawrinka’s documented tattoo represents
The quote does not point to one match. Wawrinka’s explanation gives it context, while the forearm placement made it visible throughout his rise in tennis.
Official interview clip
The embedded clip is an official Wimbledon post-match interview with Wawrinka. The tattoo’s wording and meaning are documented in his earlier interviews and in close photographs of his forearm.