38-Year-Old Wawrinka Still Planning To Return To Australian Open After Early Exit

Stan Wawrinka lost in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open, but he plans to be back next year, which is amazing to hear.

Andy Murray is a veteran who lost early in the 2024 Australian Open, and he doesn’t know whether he’ll be back in Melbourne. Stan Wawrinka found himself in the same position because he, too, was beaten in the first round, but wants to come back.

Wawrinka has been having a really fun time playing on the ATP Tour, even though his results are not as consistent as they used to be. Sometimes, he plays well, and sometimes, he can’t find his level, but for the most part, he’s enjoying time on the court.

That’s the most important thing because when he returned from his most recent injury, the Swiss was adamant that he’d play as long as it was fun.

In that sense, the fact that he backs himself to be back next year makes total sense. It will depend on many factors, but he’s optimistic about it, which is half the battle most times.

“Hopefully not. I will see how the year goes. It’s just the beginning of the year. In general, I’m quite positive with where I am right now. Even after the loss, I think there is some good opportunity for me to keep pushing, keep playing some good result, and hopefully I can come back next year.”

There is more to it for Wawrinka than just playing tennis. He has a goal before retiring: to win a trophy. It nearly happened last year in Umag, but he was beaten by Alexei Popyrin 7-6(5), 3-6, 4-6.

We’ll see whether it happens for Wawrinka, but there is ambition. He’s healthy and feeling well, so we shouldn’t doubt his capabilities. The loss to Adrien Mannarino 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 0-6 was brutal, but he showed a pretty decent level throughout the contest.