Melbourne, Jan 9 (IANS) Former champion Stan Wawrinka and Australians Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell have been awarded wildcards for Australian Open maind draw, which begins January 18 at Melbourne Park.

Wawrinka won the first of his three Grand Slam titles at Australian Open 2014, a season during which he peaked at world No.3. He reached additional semifinals in 2015 and 2017, as well as advancing to the 2020 quarterfinals.

This will be the 20th time Wawrinka competes in singles at the Australian Open. Last year he fell in four tight sets in the first round to Lorenzo Sonego. He has missed just one edition of the tournament since 2006 and has advanced to at least the quarter-finals five times.

Wawrinka owns a 43-18 record at the Australian Open according to the ATP Win/Loss Index. The 40-year-old Swiss recently announced that 2026 will be his last year competing on the ATP Tour.

“Winning the Australian Open in 2014, my first Grand Slam title, is an absolute career highlight for me, so I’m incredibly grateful to receive this wildcard,” said Wawrinka, who also won Roland Garros in 2015, and the 2016 US Open.

“To have the chance to play the AO at the beginning of my final year on tour means the world to me. Thank you to Tennis Australia for the opportunity and I can’t wait to be back out on court at Melbourne Park,” he added.

Thompson, meanwhile, debuted in the Australian Open main draw the same year Wawrinka triumphed, and continues to make his way back from injuries.

The former world No.26 was playing through back pain at Wimbledon – where he nevertheless reached the fourth round – but played a limited schedule for the rest of 2025.

Now ranked 113th, Thompson will aim to reach the third round for the first time at Melbourne Park, a stage he has reached at the other three majors.

“I’m super grateful for the wildcard into my home Slam and looking forward to playing in front of my favourite crowd,” Thompson said.

On the other hand, Australian Open 2026 will mark O’Connell’s eighth appearance in the AO main draw, where his best result was a third-round finish in 2022.

After cutting short his season in October, he resumed promisingly at the Brisbane International earlier this month, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the main draw.

“After struggling with injuries toward the end of last year and having to cut my season short, I’m now feeling fit and healthy. I’m extremely grateful to Tennis Australia for the opportunity to compete in the main draw,” said O’Connell.

–IANS

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