Stan Wawrinka’s time at the Australian Open is not over yet. The 40-year-old Swiss, who will end his tennis career at the end of the season, beat the Serbian Laslo Djere 5:7, 6:3, 6:4, 7:6 (7:4) in his first round match in Melbourne and is now in the second round of his favorite Grand Slam.
“I came back again because of you,” said Wawrinka, who won his first of three Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 2014, addressing the fans cheering him.
Wawrinka triumphs at a special time
Wawrinka triumphed at a time when superstars Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were actually vying for victories in the four Grand Slam tournaments. This is also why it is extremely popular, especially in Australia.
At the age of 40 years and 296 days, Wawrinka is the second oldest player in professional tennis history to win a match in Melbourne. In 2020, only Croatian Ivo Karlovic was older (40 years and 326 days).
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