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 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

Tennis fans are wondering if the Swiss tennis player can overcome his third obstacle at the Australian Open, which is Taylor Fritz.

The Australian Open third round continues on Saturday with defending champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys in action while the brutal Melbourne heat has forced organisers into an early start.

The Australian Open third round encounters intense heat as tennis stars like Stan Wawrinka and Madison Keys compete. Despite the scorching conditions, Wawrinka faces Taylor Fritz, while Karolina Pliskova aims for a comeback against Keys.

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, in his final professional tennis season, battled for over four hours to secure a third-round spot in the 2026 Australian Open.

Stan Wawrinka lived to fight another day in his final Australian Open on Thursday, the three-times Grand Slam winner battling to a marathon 4-6 6-3 3-6 7-5 7-6(10-3) win over Frenchman Arthur Gea to reach the third round at Melbourne Park.

Thursday’s action at the 2026 Australian Open again did not deliver any major upsets on the men’s side, but the biggest stars of the day were the veterans.