TENNIS: Veteran Wawrinka outlasts Gea to extend Australian Open stay

MELBOURNE — Stan Wawrinka fought through a grueling five-set battle on Thursday to stay alive in his final Australian Open, defeating France’s Arthur Gea 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-3) to reach the third round at Melbourne Park.

The 40-year-old Swiss star, a three-time Grand Slam champion, has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2026 season. Wawrinka won his first major title at the Australian Open in 2014, later capturing the French Open in 2015 and the U.S. Open in 2016.

After receiving a late wild card entry into the tournament, Wawrinka made the most of his opportunity. He became the first player aged 40 or older to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Ken Rosewall at the Australian Open in 1978.

“I’m exhausted,” Wawrinka said after a match that lasted four hours and 33 minutes. “It’s my last Australian Open, so I’m trying to last as long as possible.”

He added, “Not only did I have fun, but you gave me so much energy. I’m not young anymore, so I need your energy—extra energy from you.”

Wawrinka praised the crowd’s support, saying, “It’s an amazing feeling to be on this court, to have so much noise, so much support. It was a long match. I don’t know how I’m going to recover, but I’m super happy.”

The match saw Wawrinka hold his own against a much younger opponent throughout the opening sets. After losing the first set, he came back strong to win the second and level the match.

Gea took the third set by breaking Wawrinka’s serve and holding to lead 5-3. The Frenchman then maintained his advantage to take the set.

The fourth set saw both players exchange breaks, with Wawrinka eventually winning to force a deciding fifth set. The Swiss veteran surged ahead early in the final set, taking a 2-0 lead and tapping his temple in a show of mental strength as the crowd at Kia Arena roared.

Gea fought back to erase the deficit, but Wawrinka kept his composure and continued to play aggressively, even as his opponent began to cramp. The match went to a tiebreak, where Wawrinka dominated to secure his spot in the third round — his first time reaching that stage since his 2020 quarterfinal run.

“I’m always going to leave everything on the court,” Wawrinka said. “I’m always trying my best, trying to push myself. Thank you so much for being here.”

Looking ahead, he joked about celebrating his achievement: “Maybe I’m going to pick up a beer.” -Reporting by Michael Church, Shrivathsa Sridhar and Ian Ransom in Melbourne, Editing by William Maclean and Toby Davis/Reuters