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Warhorse Wawrinka Stays Alive at Farewell Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
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Warhorse Wawrinka Stays Alive at Farewell Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)

Former champion Stan Wawrinka lived to fight another day with a gutsy four-set victory to kick off his final Australian Open campaign on Monday.

The three-time Grand Slam winner, 40, is playing his last season before retiring and gave his all to down Serbia's Laslo Djere 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in front of a Kia Arena crowd willing him to victory.

But he made life hard for himself, working 18 break points but only converting three of them in a draining 3hr 20min battle.

"It was amazing today, so thank you so much," said Wawrinka, who made his debut at Melbourne Park in 2006.

"It is my last year. It's been too long that I'm coming back, but the passion is still intact.
"But I'm not young any more, so I need to be careful also.

"It's my last time and I'm trying to enjoy it," he added. "But in the same time as I'm trying to compete. I'm always going to fight."

The Swiss stalwart, ranked 139, bounced back from losing the opening set to overwhelm the 92nd-ranked Djere in the second.

Defying his age, he then took the third before an energy-sapping fourth went to a tiebreak where the veteran's experience came into play.

"He's a great player. Last time we met, he beat me so I expected a tough match today," he said.

"But I'm happy with the discipline I put on myself, to keep staying with him, to keep fighting, trying to be a bit more aggressive, trying to find a way."

Wawrinka won the first of his majors at Melbourne in 2014, a season during which he peaked at world number three, and reached two other semi-finals.

Along with that title, he won the French Open a year later and the US Open in 2016.

The triumphs all came at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were dominating men's tennis.

Wawrinka has 16 career ATP titles although the last came in Geneva in 2017.

He won Olympic gold in doubles alongside Federer at Beijing in 2008 and helped deliver a first Davis Cup triumph for Switzerland in 2014.

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WTA Players Divided on Five-Set Matches Proposal at Grand Slams

Iga Swiatek of Poland fields questions on media day during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 03, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iga Swiatek of Poland fields questions on media day during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 03, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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WTA Players Divided on Five-Set Matches Proposal at Grand Slams

Iga Swiatek of Poland fields questions on media day during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 03, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iga Swiatek of Poland fields questions on media day during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 03, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Players on the WTA Tour offered a range of opinions on Tuesday on the idea of women's matches becoming best-of-five sets from the quarter-finals onward at Grand Slam events, a concept backed by newly named USTA CEO Craig Tiley.

Women's tennis consists of best-of-three set matches, while men's matches at Grand Slam events are best-of-five.

Tiley, the longtime head of the Australian Open renowned for championing innovation in the sport, has argued that research shows interest grows as a match goes on.

Iga Swiatek, who has won six majors, ‌did not ‌understand why the sport would want to make matches ‌longer ⁠in an era ⁠of ever-shrinking attention spans.

"It's a weird approach in the world where everything is becoming faster," she told reporters at Indian Wells.

"So I don't know if the audience honestly would like that."

She also voiced concerns that there could be a dip in quality as players get tired.

"I don't know if we would be able to keep the quality for five sets. Men are more physically strong and they ⁠can handle it better," she added.

"Also, we have never ‌practiced in a way to prepare for ‌that, so we would need to change our whole calendar, because the Grand Slams would ‌be so tough that I don't think we would have time to ‌prepare for any other tournaments."

Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina echoed Swiatek's concerns.

"You start in one format, and then it gets longer, so mentally, to be ready to play so many sets if it goes to that point, I think it's not easy," ‌she said.

"It's a tricky topic, and me, as a player, I would say I wouldn't want to play three ⁠out of five, ⁠to be honest."

Other players said the change would play to their strengths.

"It probably would favor me because I'm physically up there with the best," said Coco Gauff, the winner of three majors.

"But I probably wouldn't want to see that happen, and if it were to happen, I would prefer it to be the whole tournament, not just the quarters.

"I think changing the format in the middle of the tournament defeats the purpose of the playing field."

Power hitter Aryna Sabalenka enthusiastically backed the concept.

"Yeah, let's do that," said the world number one, who has won four Grand Slam events.

"I feel like I would have probably more Grand Slams. I feel like physically I'm really strong, and I'm pretty confident that my body can handle that. So let's do it."

Sports

Alcaraz Ready to Extend Unbeaten Run at Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain fields questions on media day during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 03, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain fields questions on media day during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 03, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Alcaraz Ready to Extend Unbeaten Run at Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain fields questions on media day during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 03, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain fields questions on media day during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 03, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

World number one Carlos Alcaraz believes controlling his emotions has been the secret of his unbeaten start to 2026 as he chases a third title of the year at Indian Wells.

The 22-year-old Spanish star made history in Melbourne last month with victory at the Australian Open, becoming the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam.

He followed that up by pocketing the Qatar Open and arrives in California on the back of 12 straight wins since the turn of the year.

Alcaraz, who is targeting a third Indian Wells title after wins in 2023 and 2024, says he is not dwelling on Novak Djokovic's record 41-match winning streak from 2011.

"Obviously I know that 41, Novak holds the record," Alcaraz told reporters on Tuesday. "You don't realize how difficult it is until you're chasing that.

"When you're on 12 wins, it's like (winning) four or five more tournaments, the biggest tournaments in the world. You realize...how impressive it is."

Alcaraz, who has already amassed seven Grand Slam titles, puts his recent success down to learning to keep his temperament in check.

"I think on the court I just I control my emotions even better," Alcaraz said.

"I would say that was the key of, you know, the good level of tennis that I have been playing lately...I just control myself, and in a calm place I can find the solutions and I can go through.

"When I was getting mad or when I was playing bad or whatever, I just found the right way again, because I was calm."

Sports

Piastri Cool on Prospects of Breakthrough Win at Australian Grand Prix

Formula One F1 - Pre-Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 20, 2026 McLaren's Oscar Piastri during the pre season testing. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Pre-Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 20, 2026 McLaren's Oscar Piastri during the pre season testing. (Reuters)
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Piastri Cool on Prospects of Breakthrough Win at Australian Grand Prix

Formula One F1 - Pre-Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 20, 2026 McLaren's Oscar Piastri during the pre season testing. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Pre-Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 20, 2026 McLaren's Oscar Piastri during the pre season testing. (Reuters)

Oscar Piastri has moved to cool expectations of a drought-breaking win at his home Australian Grand Prix, insisting McLaren are not the dominant force that arrived at Albert Park 12 months ago.

After seven race wins last season and a third-placing in the drivers championship, Piastri has generated huge buzz in his hometown Melbourne and is expected to draw record crowds for his bid to become the first home winner since the race joined Formula One in 1985.

McLaren qualified both cars at the front of the grid last year ‌and Lando Norris ‌won the season-opener on a wet track, but Piastri ‌said ⁠he had "no idea" ⁠whether he could win this year as the team grapples with F1's biggest technical overhaul in decades.

"Based off testing, we seem like we’re in the mix at the front," he said.

"I certainly wouldn't be saying that we're favorite to be winning. The picture doesn't look quite as positive for us at the moment as it did 12 months ago.

"We're in the mix, but we need to ⁠find a bit more."

Piastri led last year's championship by ‌34 points before a mid-season slump opened ‌the door for British teammate Norris to claim his maiden title.

He said the disappointment of ‌missing out had faded and he had little time to dwell on ‌the past due to the short off-season and the need to get up to speed with the technical changes.

He also said he felt no extra burden to perform at his home race, a year after finishing ninth following a skid into grass.

"Obviously ‌last year's race didn't end how I wanted, but you know, there's no extra pressure to try and make ⁠up for that ⁠or anything," he said.

"We've got enough challenges to not be worrying about that."

Defending champion Norris may again loom as his toughest adversary, even with pre-season buzz surrounding Mercedes and Ferrari following their positive winter testing.

McLaren gave equal treatment to Piastri and Norris last year, although there were controversies involving the application of the team's so-called 'Papaya Rules'.

One involved the Australian letting Norris past after a botched pitstop by the team at Monza.

Piastri said any issues from last season had been dealt with internally and the team had moved on.

"We're not going to be swapping each other around for no reason (when racing)," he said.

"Again, if there's any issues or tense moments that arise, then we'll deal with it as a team, as we do and try to make some progress."