\n<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“It is my last year. The passion is still intact but I’m not young any more,” he said. <\/p>\n
“Today was amazing, it’s so special for me to enter the court and enter a Grand Slam. <\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“I’m a competitor so I’m always going to fight. Hopefully I’m going to play another good match.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“It was a big battle and I’m happy to win.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n