Wawrinka gets wildcard for Aus Open

New delhi: Stan Wawrinka has received a wildcard to compete in the Australian Open singles main draw, starting in Melbourne on January 18. Having announced that the 2026 season will be his last on the tennis tour, Wawrinka, a well-known name in India, will be lining up for one last time at the season’s first Grand Slam.

Even as the focus of the new tennis season is on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, there is enormous room for focus on the oldies as well. The amount of interest shown in Novak Djokovic, who is enjoying his tennis even now, former queen Venus Williams, now 45, and, of course, Wawrinka remains massive.

Wawrinka has been celebrated before in India as he had competed at the Chennai Open in a different era. Known for his tennis skills as well as fierce, competitive nature and being dear to fans, Wawrinka, the winner of three Grand Slams, wants to make his last year a memorable one.

It was in the summer of the Australian Open in 2014, Wawrinka had peaked as champion. Winner of three Grand Slam titles, he had done well in the AO, reaching the semi-finals in 2015 and 2017. In 2020, he made it to the quarterfinals.

“Some of my fondest tennis memories are from Melbourne and I truly feel a great connection to the city and to the fans. To have the chance to play the AO at the beginning of my final year on tour means the world to me. Thank you to Tennis Australia for the opportunity and I can’t wait to be back out on court at Melbourne Park,” Wawrinka said on Friday.

Getting the wildcard is no gift for Wawrinka, who is at present competing in the United Cup. It was expected one wild card would go to Aussie Nick Kyrgios, who has flirted with injuries for a long time in his career. However, as Kyrgios felt he is still not ready for the grind.