Wawrinka had to dig deep in a 4-hour, 33-minute epic to become the first man 40 or older to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since the 1978 Australian Open.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Stan Wawrinka has done it again at the Australian Open. The man who won the title in 2014, and beat the seemingly unbeatable Novak Djokovic in Melbourne in the middle of a trilogy of five-setters between them, pulled off arguably his greatest feat yet by beating Arthur Géa in five grueling sets to reach the third round.

Stan Wawrinka, who will retire at the end of the season, became the first player to reach the third round at a Grand Slam past his 40th birthday since 1978, and he needed 4 hours, 33 minutes to do it.

It was meant as a compliment, rather than a show of disrespect, when Taylor Fritz answered a question about Australian Open rival Stan Wawrinka's age.

Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka' game may have lost a bit of zing, but not the grit as it was on display in Melbourne

Stan Wawrinka created history and set multiple world records after reaching the Round of 32 of the 2026 Australian Open after winning a five-set thriller against Arthur Gea after a clash that went on for four hours and 33 minutes.

Stan Wawrinka vs Arthur Gea, Australian Open 2026 Second Round Highlights: The Swiss veteran played out a hard-fought contest against Arthur Gea in an all-time classic

Stan Wawrinka isn't quite done yet at the Australian Open, but how far could he go?