Stan Wawrinka bid an emotional farewell to the Australian Open on Saturday, grabbing two beers from a courtside ice box and sharing a toast with tournament director Craig Tiley after a third-round loss to Taylor Fritz.
The 40-year-old Swiss, who won his first Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park in 2014, cracked open the cans and raised them to the crowd, saying: “Cheers everybody! And thank you so much.”
Wawrinka’s 7-6 (5) 2-6 6-4 6-4 defeat to the ninth seed marked the end of his Australian Open career. He had earlier become the first man aged 40 or older to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Ken Rosewall at the 1978 Australian Open, following a five-set win over French qualifier Arthur Gea.
“I’m not sure it’s the best statistic to have, but I will take it,” he said of the milestone. Wawrinka announced before the 2026 season that this would be his last on the professional circuit, but insisted it was not merely a farewell tour.
After the match, Tiley joined Wawrinka on court for a brief ceremony. “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,” Wawrinka said before inviting Tiley to share a beer.
Fritz, the 2024 US Open runner-up, advanced to face Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round. Of Wawrinka’s farewell, he said: “I have so much respect for the passion and the drive that it takes to be doing what he’s doing this week.”
