Stan Wawrinka gets Australian Open wildcard

VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE OF FORMER AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION STAN WAWRINKA / STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF WAWRINKA WITH 2014 AUSTRALIAN OPEN TROPHY RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT SHOWS: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (FILE – JANUARY 27, 2014) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 1. THREE STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF STAN WAWRINKA OF SWITZERLAND POSING ON THE BANKS OF THE YARRA RIVER WITH THE NORMAN BROOKES CHALLENGE CUP A DAY AFTER DEFEATING RAFAEL NADAL OF SPAIN IN THEIR MEN'S SINGLES FINAL MATCH AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2014  MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (FILE – JANUARY 26, 2014) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 2. STILL PHOTO OF WAWRINKA HOLDING AUSTRALIAN OPEN NORMAN BROOKES CHALLENGE CUP NEXT TO 2014 RUNNER-UP RAFAEL NADAL MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (FILE – JANUARY 11, 2024) (REUTERS – Access all) 3. VARIOUS OF WAWRINKA PRACTISING AHEAD OF AUSTRALIAN OPEN LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE – JUNE 30, 2023) (REUTERS – Access all) 4. WAWRINKA PRACTISING AHEAD OF WIMBLEDON MADRID, SPAIN (FILE – MAY 6, 2017)(REUTERS – Access all) 5. WAWRINKA STRETCHING AT PRACTICE SESSION FOR MADRID OPEN  6. WAWRINKA PRACTISING STORY: Tennis Australia (TA) said on Friday (January 9) that Stan Wawrinka had been given a wildcard in what will be the three-times Grand Slam champion's last appearance at the tournament before he retires at the end of the season. Wawrinka, who announced last month he would hang up his racket at the end of 2026, won the first of his three major titles at Melbourne Park and the 40-year-old was delighted to receive the wildcard. "Winning the Australian Open in 2014, my first Grand Slam title, is an absolute career highlight for me, so I'm incredibly grateful to receive this wildcard," he added. (Production: Bhagya Ayyavoo)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)