Stan 'The Man' Surpasses FedEx! Wawrinka Usurps Federer, Djokovic To Script History At AO26

Last Updated:January 22, 2026, 20:20 IST

Stan Wawrinka, aged 40, broke Roger Federer's five-set Grand Slam record and reached the Australian Open third round, becoming the oldest since Ken Rosewall in 1978.

Stan Wawrinka at AO26 (AP)

Stan Wawrinka’s final Australian Open just keeps delivering.

The 40-year-old Swiss rolled back the years with a gritty five-set victory over Arthur Gea, grinding through four hours and 33 minutes to reach the third round in Melbourne.

Playing on a wildcard in what is expected to be his last appearance at the tournament, Wawrinka went on to etch a historic win on Thursday.

Five-Set King Breaks Federer Record

By outlasting Gea 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-3), Wawrinka played the 49th five-set match of his career, moving clear of Roger Federer to claim the outright record in Grand Slam history, according to OptaAce.

Novak Djokovic, Lleyton Hewitt and Fernando Verdasco now trail behind.

It also made Wawrinka the first man aged 40 or over to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Ken Rosewall at the 1978 Australian Open: a 50-year milestone shattered.

Farewell Tour Gains Momentum

Wawrinka’s career includes three Grand Slam titles — Australia (2014), Roland Garros (2015) and the US Open (2016) — all won during the era of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. He also owns 16 ATP titles and Olympic gold in doubles alongside Federer at Beijing 2008.

Now ranked 139 in the world, Wawrinka is competing in his final season before retiring at the end of 2026.

The former world No.3 has already been one of the early stories of the season, backing up a strong showing at the United Cup with another Melbourne classic.

“I am trying to last as long as possible on my last Australian Open," Wawrinka said on court. “I am not young anymore, so I need extra energy from you."

What’s Next for Wawrinka?

The 2014 Australian Open champion now faces ninth seed Taylor Fritz in the third round, with another chance to extend a farewell run that’s quickly becoming unforgettable.

(with AFP inputs)

News sports tennis Stan 'The Man' Surpasses FedEx! Wawrinka Usurps Federer, Djokovic To Script History At AO26

Read More