Cheers! Stan Wawrinka bids farewell at Australian Open with beers and gratitude

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Stan Wawrinka said goodbye after his loss to Taylor Fritz and then grabbed two beers from a courtside ice box, cracked the cans with the Australian Open tournament director and saluted the crowd.

“Cheers everybody!” the 40-year-old Wawrinka said after Saturday’s 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 third-round loss to No. 9 Fritz. “And thank you so much.”

Wawrinka won the first of his three Grand Slam titles in Australia in 2014.

With a 4 1/2-hour, five-set win over 21-year-old French qualifier Arthur Gea in the second round, Wawrinka became the first man 40 or older to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Ken Rosewall at the 1978 Australian Open. His 49th five-set match at a major was also a record.

“I’m not sure it’s the best statistic to have,” he said of 40-plus milestone, “but I will take it.”

Wawrinka said before the start of the 2026 season that this would be his last on the professional circuit, but he added that it wasn’t just a farewell tour. He’s still putting on the work and still getting results.

After Wawrinka’s last match at Melbourne Park, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley joined him on court for a ceremony and a small tribute on the stadium screen at John Cain Arena.

After the formalities, Wawrinka wanted a few final words.

“Normally we talk on court after a final. Today is not a final, so I won’t make it too long,” he said. “Thank you for the wildcard invitation … to have one last chance to say goodbye to the people in Melbourne.

“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.”

Then he added, more ab-lib, “Now I can enjoy. If you don’t mind, I’d like to share a beer with Craig.”

Fritz advanced to a round of 16 match against No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti, who held off Tomas Machac 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in a 4 1/2-hour marathon earlier Saturday on John Cain Arena. That match was stopped for about 10 minutes in the fifth set to close the roof when the stadium’s extreme heat policy was invoked.

Fritz, the 2024 U.S. Open runner-up, enjoyed the indoor conditions, firing 30 aces and just one double-fault in four sets against Wawrinka.

“It’s a really, really tough match obviously, the environment as well,” Fritz said of Wawrinka’s Australian finale. “I can’t blame anyone in the crowd for cheering for Stan here. It’s amazing what he’s out here doing.

“I have so much respect for the passion and the drive that it takes to be doing what he’s doing this week.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis