Stan Wawrinka had to dig deep to beat Arthur Gea in a 4½-hour, five-set epic to become the first man aged 40 or over to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since the 1978 Australian Open.
Fittingly, it was the longest match at the 2026 Australian Open, Wawrinka’s last at Melbourne Park.
Wawrinka, the 2014 champion and three-time major winner, kept things together as 21-year-old qualifier Gea struggled with cramps in the 10-point tiebreak of the fifth set, holding on for a 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) victory on Thursday.
At 40 years and 310 days, Wawrinka was the first man over 40 to go that far at a major since Australian great Ken Rosewall did so 48 years ago at the age of 44.
The Swiss veteran announced last month that this year would be his last on the elite tour.
It was the 49th time Wawrinka played a five-set match at a Grand Slam, more than any other player. When Wawrinka was asked during an on-track interview how he felt after 4 hours and 33 minutes on the track, he said: “Exhausted!”
“Like I said, it’s my last Australian Open, so I’m trying to last as long as I can,” he said, telling the crowd: “Not only did I have fun, but you gave me so much energy. I’m not young anymore, so I need the extra.”
When asked how he might recover for a third-round meeting with No. 9 Taylor Fritz, Wawrinka recalled a spectator who dropped a beer earlier in the match and thought he would raise a glass.
“I’ll get a beer,” he said. “I deserve one!”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
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