The tennis world is buzzing! Stan Wawrinka, a true legend of the sport, is hoping for one last dance at the Australian Open, but the path isn't as clear as he'd like.
The Swiss star, currently 40 years old and embarking on his farewell season, is ranked No. 156 in the world. This means he's not automatically in the main draw of the 'Happy Slam'. He needs a wildcard to get in.
So, what's the situation? The Australian Open organizers have already given out five of the eight available wildcards for the men's singles. Unfortunately for Wawrinka, his name wasn't on the initial list.
But here's where it gets interesting: Wawrinka is making a strong case for himself! He's been competing at the ongoing United Cup, where Switzerland has reached the semi-final. He's played three singles matches, winning one, and putting up a good fight in the others.
Wawrinka has been in contact with the Australian Open tournament director, Craig Tiley. "I've been talking to Craig and Stephen in December before coming here. They've been updating me a bit with everything," Wawrinka revealed.
He added, "I'm super happy if I get one. I want to play one more time. Of course, it's my last year. Amazing memories from there, but I'm so grateful I received one last year. Wild card, it's a wild card. I had one job to do if I wanted to play one more time was to be in the top 100, and I'm not."
Given Wawrinka's past success – he won the Australian Open in 2014 – and the fact that this is his final season, many fans expect him to get one of the remaining three wildcards. But is it a given?
This is where it gets controversial... Should past champions automatically get wildcards, or should they be based purely on current form? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!
