PERTH, Australia — Stan Wawrinka’s 40-year-old legs did not let him down over three-plus hours in his first singles match of a 2026 farewell tour on Saturday.
Three-time Grand Slam singles champion Wawrinka beat Arthur Rinderknech of France, who’s ranked twenty ninth to Wawrinka’s 157th, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). The match went 3 hours, 16 minutes.
Wawrinka introduced in December that this yr can be his final on the ATP tour.
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Forward of his first match, Wawrinka mentioned he hoped to enhance on his present rating and transfer again into the highest 100 earlier than he retires. His highest rating was No. 3, achieved when he gained the Australian Open in 2014.
“I am pleased with the choice [to retire] and feeling at peace with that,” Wawrinka mentioned.
The United Cup is amongst numerous tournaments being performed over the subsequent two weeks Down Below forward of the Australian Open which begins in Melbourne on Jan. 18.
His teammate Belinda Bencic began off the tie Saturday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over France’s Leolia Jeanjean, giving the Swiss group a successful 2-0 lead.
