For Wawrinka, Monday’s victory was his first at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2024 and his first at the Australian Open for five years.
At 40 years and 296 days, Wawrinka is the second oldest player to win a men’s singles match at Melbourne Park, bettered only by Ivo Karlovic (40 years and 326 days) in 2020.
But although he is bringing the curtain down on his “long journey” in professional tennis, Wawrinka made it clear that he is not in Melbourne just to say goodbye.
“It is my last year. The passion is still intact but I’m not young any more,” he said.
“Today was amazing, it’s so special for me to enter the court and enter a Grand Slam.
“It’s the reason I practise hard with my team every off-season and every day, to have a chance to compete with the best players in the world.
“I’m a competitor so I’m always going to fight. Hopefully I’m going to play another good match.”
World number 139 Wawrinka, having received vocal support throughout the match, celebrated by pointing to all four corners of the Show Court Arena to encourage even more noise.
“Only at the end of the match, I started to think a little bit and I got too much emotion about maybe what could happen,” Wawrinka added.
“It was a big battle and I’m happy to win.”
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