‘Exhausted’: 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka creates Grand Slam history at Australian Open | Tennis News
Stan Wawrinka pushed his body to the limit one last time at Melbourne Park, surviving a gruelling five-set marathon to reach the third round of the Australian Open and rewrite a slice of Grand Slam history. The 40-year-old Swiss edged past 21-year-old French qualifier Arthur Gea in four hours and 33 minutes, winning 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/3) in what became the longest match of the 2026 Australian Open. It was also Wawrinka’s final appearance at the tournament where he lifted the trophy in 2014. At 40 years and 310 days, Wawrinka became the first man aged 40 or over to reach the third round of a major since Ken Rosewall at the Australian Open in 1978, when the Australian legend achieved the feat at 44. Wawrinka, who is playing his final season on the professional tour after announcing his impending retirement last month, held firm in the deciding super tiebreak as Gea battled cramps and physical distress late in the match. Asked on court how he was feeling after such an ordeal, Wawrinka summed it up in a single word: “Exhausted!” “As I told you, it’s my last Australian Open, so I’m trying to last as long as possible,” he said. “Not only I had fun but you gave me so much energy. I’m not young any more so I need the extra.” The crowd remained fully invested as daylight faded, watching the veteran draw on vast reserves of experience. After dropping the opening set, Wawrinka struck back with authority in the second before Gea reclaimed control in the third, once again putting the former champion under pressure. Wawrinka refused to fade. He broke serve at a crucial moment to snatch the fourth set and then opened the deciding fifth with another break, even as Gea had both knees heavily strapped. With neither player willing to yield, the contest spilled into a tense final tiebreak, where Wawrinka steadied himself to close it out. When asked how he planned to recover before the next round, Wawrinka pointed to a lighter moment from earlier in the match. “I’ll pick up a beer,” he said with a smile. “I deserve one!” Now ranked 139 and competing on a wildcard, Wawrinka will face either ninth seed Taylor Fritz of the United States or Czech player Vit Kopriva in the third round. The match also carried historical significance beyond the result. It was the 49th five-set match of Wawrinka’s Grand Slam career, moving him past Roger Federer for the most by any player in the Open Era. Wawrinka first played at Melbourne Park in 2006 and enjoyed the peak of his career here in 2014, a season that saw him rise to world number three. His three Grand Slam titles came at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic dominated men’s tennis, with Wawrinka carving out his own place among the era’s giants. Alongside his Australian Open triumph, he won the French Open in 2015 and the US Open in 2016, collected 16 ATP titles, and claimed Olympic gold in doubles with Federer at the 2008 Beijing Games. “It is an amazing feeling,” Wawrinka said after the win. “It was a long match. I don’t know how I am going to recover.” For one more night in Melbourne, exhaustion gave way to emotion as Wawrinka found a way to keep his farewell run alive.
