ATP Tour

Wawrinka on Australian Open goodbye: 'This was more than I could expect'

Stan Wawrinka’s Australian Open farewell came on Saturday night when he suffered a four-set loss to Taylor Fritz in the third round. Following the match, the 2014 champion remained on John Cain Arena for a special ceremony. The Swiss star shared words and a beer with tournament director Craig Tiley before soaking in the affection of a packed house that rose to celebrate him one last time.

The ceremony honoured Wawrinka’s long, memorable relationship with Melbourne, but the match itself was a reminder of why he was never content to simply show up for a goodbye.

At 40, he became the oldest man to reach the third round of the Australian Open since Ken Rosewall in 1978 and he pushed Top-10 Fritz hard, winning the second set and hitting a number of scorching winners.

“My mindset was what I have been saying, I'm not doing the year to just say goodbye in tournaments,” Wawrinka said in his post-match press conference when reflecting on the night. “It's my last year, so of course when I'm going to lose in a tournament, it's going to be a goodbye for this tournament, but my mindset is still a competitor and I always want to push myself.

“I'm trying to find the balance between competitor, trying to win, but in the same time enjoying those moments with the fans, with the atmosphere. And here it was more than I could expect with the support. Every match was something really special, and I really appreciate that.”

All rise for Stan Wawrinka 👏

The 2014 champion waves goodbye to the @AustralianOpen for the final time 🥺#AO26 pic.twitter.com/ebApxcFmof

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 24, 2026

Wawrinka has enjoyed an impressive three weeks in Australia. The former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings earned a third-set tie-break win against Arthur Rinderknech at the United Cup and pushed Flavio Cobolli, Zizou Bergs and Hubert Hurkacz to deciding sets at the mixed-teams event. In his 20th appearance at the Australian Open, he then defeated Laslo Djere and Arthur Gea to reach the third round.

So, was the 40-year-old surprised by the level he produced under the Australian sun?

“Surprised? No. Because I know I was practising, how much I pushed myself to try to get that level,” Wawrinka said. “I think United Cup was the perfect start, because it give me a lot of time on the court against top players. Even if I won only one match, I had the chance to play five and spend a lot of time. This is exactly what I was missing last year.

“This for me was a great two weeks, three weeks, between here and United Cup. The level was great. I can see that I'm competitive, that I'm feeling good on the court, that I can win some good matches, play against the top players. It's exactly what I'm looking for.”

Wawrinka will end his playing career at the conclusion of the season, and the three-time major champion hopes his form in Australia can serve as a catalyst for the months ahead.

“This doesn't change my goal for the year,” Wawrinka said. “It's always going to be to push my limit. It's not because I play well these three weeks that I'm going to win a lot of match in the next few months. But at least I know where is my level and what I can still do, and I'm happy with that.”