Jan 4 (Reuters) - Former Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka is unsure whether he will receive a wildcard for what would be his final appearance at Melbourne Park before retiring at the end of 2026.
The 40-year-old Swiss, who lifted the Australian Open trophy in 2014, announced last month he would hang up his racket at the end of 2026, bringing a 24-year professional career to a close.
Now ranked 157th in the world, he no longer qualifies automatically for Grand Slam draws and will require
a wildcard to enter.
"I don't know, actually. For me, I'm taking week after week," Wawrinka said on Sunday when asked about the prospect of receiving an Australian Open wildcard at the United Cup.
"When I receive good news, like I did for playing here and the wildcard for Auckland, I'm super happy. I'm super happy when I receive one. When I don't receive, that's all good, I'm going to go for the next tournament."
Wawrinka needed a wildcard for last year's tournament but fell in the first round for the third consecutive year.
Australian Open organisers have yet to announce the complete list of wildcard recipients for the tournament beginning January 18.
Earlier this week, they handed 45-year-old Venus Williams a wildcard as she prepares to become the oldest woman to feature in the main draw.
Wawrinka's United Cup Swiss teammates believe his inclusion should be automatic, with Luca Castelnuovo saying it was a "no-brainer" while Belinda Bencic was even more emphatic.
"It's not even a question. I don't know what they're waiting for," Bencic said.
On his part, Wawrinka has already logged over six hours on court in two matches in a tough start to the year, beating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in three sets but losing to Italy's Flavio Cobolli in another three-setter on Sunday.
"It's my last year, so I need to spend the maximum of time on the court, so I make sure that happens in every match," he joked.
"In general I'm quite happy with my level. Of course, I would have loved to win it.
"For me, I have two days in a row, two big matches. I can see that physically I'm good. I'm feeling good at the beginning of the year."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
