“If I don’t receive one, that’s all good”: Stan Wawrinka admits uncertainty over an Australian Open wildcard

The Swiss team secured qualification for the United Cup quarterfinals following a remarkable performance by Belinda Bencic and Stan Wawrinka, claiming an impressive victory over Italy that ensured their place in the next round. The three-time Grand Slam champion showed great form despite losing to Flavio Cobolli and spoke about whether he would receive a wildcard for the upcoming Australian Open.

Bencic was the standout of the day, winning her singles match and taking the leadership role in mixed doubles. The Tokyo 2020 gold medalist began with a commanding straight-sets victory over world No. 7 Jasmine Paolini, giving Switzerland hope to pursue victory against one of the tournament’s favorite teams — considering they are the current Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup champions.

“It was very nice to get revenge, not only in singles but also as a team. She’s a really good player, and I’m very happy with my level today,” the world No. 11 said. “There were some key moments where it was really important for me mentally, because I had a few things in my head from the last matches — situations where I felt I didn’t do the right things. I’m really happy that I managed to overcome myself today.”

In the second match, Wawrinka fought until the very end but couldn’t overcome Flavio Cobolli (No. 22) in a strong performance by the three-time Grand Slam champion in his debut. It is Wawrinka’s final season as a professional, but he showed great level, keeping the match tight against the Italian, which ultimately ended in a third-set tiebreak.

“It’s my last year, so I want to spend as much time as possible on court. That’s what I want to make sure happens in every match,” the former world No. 3 said. “It was a tough one. I think the level was great, and Flavio played very good tennis. He did what he needed to do at the right moments and put a lot of pressure on me. It wasn’t easy to find solutions.”

Another topic Wawrinka addressed was the possibility of receiving a wildcard for the Australian Open. With three wildcards still available, the 2014 Australian Open champion acknowledged that he has no news regarding a possible invitation, leaving his participation in the first major of the year uncertain.

“I don't know, actually. For me, I’m taking it week after week when I receive good news like I did for playing here. And the wild card for Auckland, I’m super happy,” he said. “I’m grateful when I receive one. And when I don’t receive one, that’s all good. I’m going to go for the next tournament.”

After Cobolli’s match, the final tie was still to be decided. The Italians fielded a highly experienced doubles pair in Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champions (US Open 2024, 2025, and French Open 2025). However, the Swiss team — captained by Wawrinka — countered with Bencic and the unexpected Jakob Paul, No. 81 in doubles and No. 341 in singles.

“It’s going really well, I would say. I’m just really happy. It was an honour to play twice with Belinda,” said the 26-year-old Paul. “ It's also just an honor that Stan puts the trust in me to let me play the mixed doubles, and that he believes in me. It's just amazing to have such support also from the bench. It's just a great atmosphere that we have in the team."

“Of course, it’s amazing when there are lots of fans, but we understand it’s very late and not easy for everyone to stay. Whether there are 100 people or 10,000, we’re still going to fight as hard as we can and enjoy what we’re doing. We’re here as a team, and that’s a great feeling.”

The Swiss advanced to the quarterfinals after winning both of their ties: 3–0 against China and 2–1 against Italy. Being the only qualified team so far, they are still awaiting the rest of the results, with potential matchups against Greece, Great Britain, or the United States.