""Normally we talk on court after a final. Today is not a final, so I won't make it too long," he said. "Thank you for the wild-card invitation ... to have one last chance to say goodbye to the people in Melbourne. "It was my last time as a tennis player here, unfortunately. I had so many emotions here the last 20 years. I'm sad to leave, but it's been an amazing journey.""
""I'm not sure it's the best statistic to have," Wawrinka said of 40-plus milestone, "but I will take it.""
""Cheers everybody!" the 40-year-old Wawrinka said after Saturday's 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 third-round loss to No. 9 Fritz. "And thank you so much.""
Stan Wawrinka lost to Taylor Fritz 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round at the Australian Open. The 40-year-old grabbed two beers from a courtside ice box, cracked the cans with tournament director Craig Tiley and saluted the crowd. Wawrinka won the 2014 Australian Open and earlier beat Arthur Gea in a 4½-hour, five-set second-round match, becoming the first man 40 or older to reach the third round of a major since Ken Rosewall in 1978 and recording his 49th five-set major match. He had announced 2026 would be his last season, received a wild-card entry, and used the postmatch ceremony to thank fans, call it his last time as a player in Melbourne, and describe the experience as an amazing journey. Taylor Fritz advanced to face Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 16.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]