Taylor Fritz may not be 100% fit, but he’s still alive in the Australian Open draw…
The American star is into round three, following a straight-sets win over Vit Kopriva, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6.
His knee tendonitis has been troubling him this month, but a combination of painkillers, grit, and determination has seen him safely through to the third round of the Australian Open.
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There, he will meet Stan Wawrinka, who won the longest match of the tournament against Arthur Gea, to advance to the third round of a major for the first time in three years.
During his latest press conference, Fritz was asked if he could ever imagine playing tennis when he is 40 years old, like Wawrinka.
‘Not at all’ – Taylor Fritz says there’s no chance he’ll still be playing at Stan Wawrinka’s age
Fritz didn’t seem interested in playing tennis in his 40s.
“No, not at all,” he said.
“I can barely imagine playing in, like, four years from now!”
He then shared his thoughts on Wawrinka and their upcoming Australian Open clash.
“Yeah, I’m excited for it,” said Fritz.
“I think it will be a fun match. Obviously, looked up to Stan [Wawrinka] for a long time. I know he’s playing well.
“I practiced with him in Perth at the United Cup. His average time on court per match this year has to be something insane because even United Cup he was battling long three-setters every match.
Stan Wawrinka’s time on court in 2026
| Match | Winner | Loser | Time on court |
| 2026 Australian Open – 2R | Stan Wawrinka | Arthur Gea | 4hr, 33 |
| 2026 Australian Open – 1R | Stan Wawrinka | Laslo Djere | 3hr, 20 |
| 2026 United Cup – F | Hubert Hurkacz | Stan Wawrinka | 1hr, 54 |
| 2026 United Cup – SF | Zizou Bergs | Stan Wawrinka | 2hr, 30 |
| 2026 United Cup – QF | Sebastian Baez | Stan Wawrinka | 1hr, 38 |
| 2026 United Cup – GS | Flavio Cobolli | Stan Wawrinka | 2hr, 55 |
| 2026 United Cup – GS | Stan Wawrinka | Arthur Rinderknech | 3hr, 18 |
- Stan Wawrinka’s total time on court in 2026 – 20hr, 8
- Stan Wawrinka’s average time on court in 2026 – 2hr, 52
“Yeah, it’s so impressive the level and just the physicality he’s still bringing.”
Whether Wawrinka’s physicality will hold up for another match remains to be seen.
Their third-round clash will be their fourth meeting on the ATP Tour and their first in three years.
Taylor Fritz and Stan Wawrinka’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters – 2R | Taylor Fritz | Stan Wawrinka | 7-6, 6-2 |
| 2018 Japan Open – 1R | Stan Wawrinka | Taylor Fritz | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2016 Wimbledon – 1R | Stan Wawrinka | Taylor Fritz | 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4 |
Wawrinka leads their head-to-head 2-1, but lost their last match at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.
Only time will tell if Wawrinka can extend his lead to 3-1, or if Fritz can level things up at 2-2.
Wawrinka and Fritz will play their third-round match on Saturday, January 24.
Seven American men qualify for the Australian Open 3R
Fritz is one of seven American men who have qualified for the third round of the Australian Open.
- [19] Tommy Paul vs [14] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
- [29] Frances Tiafoe vs [6] Alex de Minaur
- [25] Learner Tien vs Nuno Borges
- [9] Taylor Fritz vs Stan Wawrinka
- Ethan Quinn vs [16] Jakub Mensik
- [8] Ben Shelton vs [30] Valentin Vacherot
- Eliot Spizzirri vs [2] Jannik Sinner
22% of the players remaining in the men’s singles draw are American, which is a remarkable achievement.
Fritz is pleased to see his countrymen impressing down under.
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“We’re all focused in on the tournament,” he said.
“I feel like I’ve barely seen Tommy [Paul] this week, and Frances [Tiafoe]. But they are playing on the days that I’m not playing. So, like, the days that we’re off, I feel like we come into the site real quick, practice, leave. Yeah, I just haven’t been catching them.
“But happy to see all the success the guys are having, especially some of the guys that are playing well, pulling off some upsets.
“I’m happy for Ethan [Quinn]. He doesn’t have to worry about the bill that he paid the other night. Maybe that gave him a little extra motivation, too, this week.”
Losing a game of ‘credit card roulette’, Ethan Quinn, the world number 80, had to cover the bill for a meal shared by the American players at Nobu.
The American stars will return to the court when the third round of matches start on Friday, January 23.
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