PERTH, Australia — Stan Wawrinka did not let his 40-year-old legs let him down for greater than three hours on Saturday within the first singles match of his 2026 farewell tour.
Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, defeated France’s Arthur Rinderknek, who’s ranked twenty ninth to Wawrinka’s 157th place, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). The match time was 3 hours and 16 minutes.
Wawrinka introduced in December that this 12 months could be his final look on the ATP Tour.
Forward of his first race, Wawrinka stated he needed to enhance his present rating and get again into the highest 100 earlier than retiring. His highest rating was third place, achieved when he gained the 2014 Australian Open.
“I am glad and relieved with the choice (to retire),” Wawrinka stated.
The United Cup is one in all quite a lot of tournaments to be held Down Below over the following two weeks forward of the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on January 18.
On Saturday, teammate Belinda Bencic beat France’s Leoria Jeanjan 6-2, 6-4 to present the Swiss crew a 2-0 lead and a fair begin.
