Wawrinka is IMMORTAL

Jose Morón | 22 Jan 2026 | 10.44

Wawrinka celebrates victory in Australia. Photo: Getty

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Stan Wawrinka, in what is his last Australian Open, treated himself to one of those matches that his grandchildren will talk about in the future, telling them how he won at 40 years old against a youngster 19 years his junior. Arthur Gea understood tonight why Stan will be immortalized in the history of this sport. Not only as one of the best one-handed backhands (or the best), but for the class that exudes from each of his strokes.

They say age is just a number. In Stan's case, that becomes a reality when you see what he just accomplished tonight in Melbourne. In an edition where he entered as a wildcard when the organization was deciding between Kyrgios and him for the last main draw invitation, his great United Cup made him worthy of that wildcard to bid farewell to the audience who saw him win his first Grand Slam. And he has certainly proven that he deserved it.

In a year where others from the 80s generation like Cilic have once again shown what they are made of, Wawrinka already defeated Djere in the first round to face Gea, a young Frenchman, 19 years his junior. When Stan won in Australia in 2014, Arthur was just 7 years old. Today, the Lausanne native made it clear that despite his physical problems and the struggle to find results in 2025, he wants to bid farewell with pride, astonishing everyone.

Had to come from behind

Stan faced a spirited Gea who possesses a lot of class and who in this Australian Open is proving to the world that he has the tennis to inspire his country with a player who might have a say in the future. Advancing to this round without dropping a set and coming through the qualifying, he defeated Lehecka in three sets. Wawrinka was forewarned about the dangers posed by the Frenchman.

Gea went up two sets to one, with the Swiss finding himself against the ropes, yet not losing faith that he could turn it all around. An impeccable survival exercise by Stan, who avoided the tiebreak in the fourth with a remarkable set point and managed to push for a fifth set, defying the laws of biology. Yes, folks, because a 40-year-old Stan, with knees of someone much older, showed better fitness than his opponent today who is nearly two decades younger. Mind-blowing.

The Swiss had several break opportunities throughout the set to take the lead and secure the victory. Yet, all were expertly saved by a Gea who began fighting two battles: one against Wawrinka and another against his own cramps. Thus, we were heading to a super tiebreak as tense as it was thrilling.

Wawrinka clinches an incredible super tiebreak

There, Stan started to move the Frenchman from side to side, while Gea stretched during the breaks between points. Gea even kissed the ground in the struggle to reach some balls, while Wawrinka continued as usual, drawing on experience, keeping the ball in play, and playing with sliced shots to trouble Arthur. The lob that Stan executed while constantly defending from corner to corner is worth watching repeatedly. Absolutely crazy.

While the Frenchman kept panting and fighting against a lack of oxygen, Wawrinka sealed his victory after a tremendous crosscourt backhand, impossible for Gea to return. The Show Court Arena crowd erupted with another win for the Swiss, who sat on the bench with the smile and happiness of a child who has seen Santa Claus on Christmas Day.

Why does he continue playing at 40 years old when the results were not coming, and everyone was telling him to retire and stop feeling sorry for himself? For nights like this. His face perfectly defines what passion and love for something truly mean. There is no adrenaline rush that compares to this.

And it no longer matters who he faces in the third round (Fritz or Kopriva), because what matters is that Stan has proven to himself once again that there is no greater gift than the one you give yourself when few believe you can do it. And what Wawrinka doesn't know is that the gift he has given is not only to himself but also, of course, to us. Never retire, my friend.