Tour Veteran Stan Wawrinka has avoided having to play the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open after being handed a wild card into the main draw.
The former world No.3 will be making his 19th appearance at Melbourne Park at the age of 39. Wawrinka won the Australian Open in 2014 and has reached the semi-final stages on two other occasions. However, he hasn’t won a match at the Grand Slam since 2021 after losing in the first round in his two previous appearances.
“I’m incredibly grateful to receive a wildcard into the Australian Open in 2025,” Wawrinka said in a press release. “Melbourne holds such a special place in my heart – it’s where I won my first Grand Slam and is one of the greatest milestones of my career.
“The city, the people, the loud fans and the electric atmosphere make the Australian Open so special to me and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the court in Melbourne.”
Wawrinka is currently ranked 161st in the PIF ATP rankings and has been continuously ranked outside the top 100 since July. In recent years, his progress on the Tour has been hampered by injury setbacks, but he has vowed to continue playing even though he is the oldest player in the top 200.
“It was always my plan to continue,” he told Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger in October. “The way I feel, tennis-wise and physically, how well I train, the level of play I reach. But of course, there is also the reality of the results and the world rankings. If I no longer have the opportunity to play in the big tournaments and the ones I usually enjoy, that could affect my motivation. So far that hasn’t been the case.”
Besides Wawrinka, Australian players Tristan Schoolkate, Li Tu, James McCabe and Emerson Jones have also been handed wild cards into the main draw.
In the women’s draw, former top 20 player Daria Saville is among those to be granted entry into the tournament. The 30-year-old is another player who has been troubled by injury in recent years but has worked her way back up the rankings. She recently won an ITF tournament in Carrara which is the first singles tournament she has triumphed at since 2017.
“I’m delighted to have another opportunity to compete in the main draw of the Australian Open,” said Saville. “I’d like to thank Tennis Australia for their continued support and allowing me to compete in my home Slam. I am incredibly motivated and working hard to make my way back inside the top 100 and back to my career-high ranking of 20. The Australian summer is my favourite time of the year playing at home and hopefully it sets the tone for a strong 2025 season.”
Three-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic, Talia Gibson and Maya Joint have also been given wildcards.
Finally, China’s Zhang Shuai and Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej have gained entry into the tournament after winning the AO Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off tournaments.
The Australian Open will begin on January 12th.