Stan Wawrinka Proves Age is Just a Number

It’s been 20 years since Stan Wawrinka played his first-ever match at the Australian Open. He had pushed the No. 4 seed David Nalbandian into a four-setter in 2006, confidently going up against one of the best players to never win a Grand Slam.

Wawrinka, who never made the meteoric jump to lift a Grand Slam trophy in his young career, seemed like he could go down Nalbandian’s path until the 2014 Australian Open. He won his first Grand Slam at the age of 29, the fifth-oldest player to win a maiden Grand Slam in the Open Era.

The Swiss legend was reminded of his 2006 debut just after he battled past Laslo Djere, in a 5-7 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) first-round matchup on Monday. Why Wawrinka–who will retire at the end of the 2026 season–continues to play is “because of the love you give me,” he said to a full crowd of fans on Kia Arena after defeating Djere.

“I’m a competitor, so I’m always going to fight,” he continued, in an on-court interview. The crowd jokingly booed when a reporter reminded fans of Wawrinka’s impending retirement.

At 40, Wawrinka ultimately became the second-oldest man to win a men’s singles match at the Australian Open this week. He followed that first round match up with a thrilling, four-hour victory over Arthur Gea on Thursday. He now faces the exciting test of taking on Top 10 opponent Taylor Fritz in the third round.

Wawrinka’s 2026 Australian Open victories, and some other stunners to remember

Wawrinka, in his win over Djere, displayed his flashy tennis at times, namely his one-handed backhand weapon. But at times, the Swiss was on the defensive, as Djere’s strong forehand pushed Wawrinka deep in the court. One of Wawrinka’s weaknesses, at 40 years old, is his slower speed. Djere tried to find the lines for much of the match, but he ultimately hit a concerning 65 unforced errors.

Wawrinka worked his way back into the match after dropping the first set 7-5. He stepped up the pace of his groundstrokes and started to show signs of the tennis he brought to the Australian Open as a regular top seed.

Gea, ranked No. 198 in the world, was not to be overlooked on Thursday. He won an ATP Challenger Tour title in Noumea, New Caledonia, and stunned No. 17 seed Jiri Lehecka this week, but Wawrinka found his best tennis in the biggest moments. He sealed the fourth set with his vintage one-handed backhand, crushing a winner down the line. Wawrinka won 4-6 6-3 3-6 7-5 7-6 (3), outlasting an opponent almost half his age.

Wawrinka was asked his one-handed backhand was at its best on Thursday, to which the Swiss laughed in another packed house post-match interview: “Unfortunately not.”

“Gave me a few points today, gave me a few misses too, but I’m always going to fight,” Wawrinka continued. “I’m always going to leave everything on the court.”

There are countless other strong performances by Wawrinka over the past 20 years at the Australian Open. LWOT compiled a list of ones to watch:

2011 Australian Open Fourth Round vs. Andy Roddick: Wawrinka, ranked as the No. 19 seed, made his second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal after demolishing the higher-ranked American.

2013 Australian Open Fourth Round vs. Novak Djokovic: A classic matchup, where Wawrinka fell in a heartbreaking 12-10 fifth set. Fans, from this point on, saw Wawrinka as a genuine threat to win Grand Slams.

2014 Australian Open Quarterfinal vs. Novak Djokovic: Sweet revenge for Wawrinka, as he stunned Djokovic 9-7 in the fifth set. It was another marathon match in the late hours of the night on Rod Laver Arena.

2014 Australian Open Final vs. Rafael Nadal: This was the big one. Wawrinka won his first Grand Slam title in four sets, firing on all cylinders. With Wawrinka’s power and weaponry, no player could likely stop Wawrinka on that day, despite Nadal facing an injury.

2020 Australian Open Fourth Round vs. Daniil Medvedev: All eyes were on Medvedev after his first Grand Slam final at the 2019 US Open. But Wawrinka rolled back the clock and completely shifted the match after winning a fourth-set tiebreaker.