Stan Wawrinka still hasn’t been awarded a wild card for the Australian Open.
As things stand, the 2014 Australian Open champion won’t play in Melbourne on his farewell tour.
After Switzerland’s win over Italy at the United Cup, Wawrinka admitted he didn’t know if he’d receive a wild card.
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The decision seems bizarre given his success at the tournament, although, in fairness, the Australian Open is free to award wild cards however they deem fit.
However, one popular tennis journalist has now proposed a rule change for Grand Slams, which would guarantee Wawrinka a wild card…
Jon Wertheim says Grand Slam champions should be guaranteed major wild cards
Sharing his thoughts on X, Jon Wertheim weighed in on the wild card debate.
“These wild cards are so abused and commodified, especially the reciprocal nonsense,” said Wertheim.
“We at least need a rule that every former champion of that Major automatically jumps the line.
“Venus [Williams] in the US Open, in perpetuity; Stan [Wawrinka] at the Australian Open; [Victoria] Azarenka in the Australian Open, etc.”
Like Wawrinka, Victoria Azarenka has also missed out on an Australian Open wild card.
But who has been awarded a wild card for the first Grand Slam of 2026?
2026 ATP Australian Open wild cards
- Yunchaokete Bu (China)
- James Duckworth (Australia)
- Rinky Hijikata (Australia)
- Kyrian Jacquet (France)
- Patrick Kypson (USA)
2026 WTA Australian Open wild cards
- Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan)
- Talia Gibson (Australia)
- Priscilla Hon (Australia)
- Emerson Jones (Australia)
- Elizabeth Mandlik (USA)
- Taylah Preston (Australia)
- Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonoah (France)
- Venus Williams (USA)
The Australian Open is required to give wild cards to at least one American and one French player due to a reciprocal agreement with the US Open and French Open.
They do, however, have room to hand out wild cards to players from other nations, though, as evidenced by their decision to give Venus Williams a wild card.
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There are still more wild cards to be handed out for the men’s draw, but it remains to be seen if Wawrinka will be given a spot.
If Wertheim had his way, this wouldn’t even be a discussion, and Wawrinka would be one of the first names entered into the 128-man draw, thanks to his 2014 triumph.
Players who would qualify automatically with new rule
| ATP/WTA | Name | Australian Open titles | Current Ranking | Would they qualify via ranking? |
| ATP | Novak Djokovic | 10 | 4 | YES |
| ATP | Jannik Sinner | 2 | 2 | YES |
| ATP | Stan Wawrinka | 1 | 156 | NO |
| WTA | Aryna Sabalenka | 2 | 1 | YES |
| WTA | Naomi Osaka | 2 | 16 | YES |
| WTA | Victoria Azarenka | 2 | 144 | NO |
| WTA | Sofia Kenin | 1 | 28 | YES |
Only time will tell if the Grand Slams will listen to Wertheim, but for now, Wawrinka will need to hope for a last-minute wild card, or he’ll never play the Australian Open again…
How did Stan Wawrinka win the Australian Open?
Wawrinka travelled to Melbourne as the number-eight seed in 2014, having qualified for his maiden Grand Slam final at the 2013 US Open last time out.
Looking to go one further, Wawrinka did just that, reaching his first major final, defeating Novak Djokovic along the way.
Stan Wawrinka’s route to the 2014 Australian Open final
- 2014 Australian Open 1R [WIN] vs Andrey Golubev, 6-4, 4-1 (RET)
- 2014 Australian Open 2R [WIN] vs Alejandro Falla, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4
- 2014 Australian Open 3R [WALKOVER] vs Vasek Pospisil
- 2014 Australian Open 4R [WIN] vs Tommy Robredo, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6
- 2014 Australian Open QF [WIN] vs Novak Djokovic, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7
- 2014 Australian Open SF [WIN] vs Tomas Berdych, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6
Advancing to the final, Wawrinka met Spain’s Rafael Nadal, the 2009 champion.
Wawrinka made a strong start, taking the first two sets, 6-3, 6-2, to move himself within touching distance of the Australian Open title.
Not prepared to go down without a fight, Nadal battled back, taking the third set 6-3.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard, that was about all the resistance he could provide, as he lost the fourth set 3-6, while struggling with a back problem.
Securing the win, Wawrinka lifted the first of his three Grand Slam titles.
In doing so, he became the first player outside the ‘big four’ (Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray) to win a Grand Slam since Juan Martin del Potro in 2009.
His wins in Paris (2015) and New York (2016) were impressive, but Wawrinka’s title crusade Down Under back in 2014 was arguably his most memorable.
Here’s hoping that Wawrinka makes a few more Grand Slam memories before he hangs up his racket for good!
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