Stan Wawrinka turned back the clock on Thursday, taking down Arthur Gea to book his place in the Australian Open third round.
The 41-year-old went through yet another five-set battle, outlasting the young Frenchman 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6.
The Swiss veteran is playing this tournament on a wildcard and will now face ninth seed Taylor Fritz next up. It’s another chance for Wawrinka to show he’s still got something left in the tank. For a player who’s already announced he’ll retire at the end of this season, it was a remarkable effort.
Even with all he’s accomplished over his career, Stan Wawrinka found something new to add to his legacy by reaching this year’s third round. In doing so, he became only the second player ever – and first since Ken Rosewall in 1978 – to win multiple Grand Slam matches after turning 40.
This isn’t even new territory for Wawrinka. Back in March last year at Indian Wells, he defeated Miomir Kecmanovic in three sets to become just the fourth man over 40 since Rosewall’s era to win an ATP Tour main draw match. Roger Federer is among those names too.
Stan Wawrinka levels Ken Rosewall following sensational win at the Australian Open
Wawrinka’s run is a welcome storyline for tournament organisers, as he continues to add new chapters to his remarkable career.
He became the first player over 40 to make the third round since Ken Rosewall did it in 1978.
Rosewall, who was 44 at the time, got past Cary Stansbury and Sherwood Stewart before falling to Peter Feigl in a five-setter: 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 10-8.
This year’s Wawrinka-Gea match also set a new benchmark for this tournament. At four hours and 30 minutes, it stands as the longest contest of the event so far.
Up next for Wawrinka is Taylor Fritz. The American moved past Vit Kopriva on Thursday but doesn’t have a winning record against Wawrinka. The Swiss leads their head-to-head matchup two-to-one.
The Swiss has wins from their meetings at Wimbledon in 2016 and the Japan Open in 2018. Fritz took their most recent encounter at Monte-Carlo last year, winning in straight sets: 7-6, 6-2.
Stan Wawrinka reflects on Australian Open third round progression
Wawrinka spoke to Mats Wilander after the match, commenting on how he was feeling and also acknowledging the support from the crowd.
He said: “Exhausted [laughing]. As I told you, it’s my last Australian Open so I’m trying to last as long as possible.”
“Not only I had fun but you [the crowd] gave me so much energy. I am not young anymore so I need your energy, I need extra Australian energy from you.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be on this court, to have so much noise, so much support. It was a long match [laughing], I don’t know how I’m going to recover but I’m super happy.”
“Unfortunately not! (laughing) I wish it was,” Wawrinka replied. “Gave me few points today, gave me a few miss too, but yeah I’m always going to fight, I’m always going to leave everything on the court. I’m always trying my best to try to push myself and again thank you so much for being here.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion closed with some light-hearted remarks about his post-match plans: “No idea. But at the beginning someone dropped a beer in the stands. Maybe I’ll pick up a beer. Think I’ve earned one.”
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