Stan Wawrinka suffers third consecutive first-round exit at Australian Open
What's the story
Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open champion, has been knocked out in the first round of the year's first Grand Slam.
The Swiss tennis star lost to Italy's Lorenzo Sonego in a match that went on for more than three hours.
Despite putting up a good fight, Wawrinka couldn't register the win against his Italian opponent, who won 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5.
Notably, Wawrinka suffered his third successive first-round exit at the Australian Open.
Stats
A look at match stats
Sonego won a total of 127 points and 63 winners throughout the match. He served 12 aces compared to Wawrinka's six.
Sonego had a win percentage of 84 and 54 in the first and second serves, respectively. He won four of his five break points and 30 of his 39 net points.
Meanwhile, Wawrinka registered fewer unforced errors (13) than his opponent (30).
Form
Last quarter-final appearance
Wawrinka, who once became the third-ranked ATP player, hasn't been at his best in the last four years.
He last went past the fourth round at Grand Slams in 2020 (Australian Open).
Wawrinka won the last of his three Grand Slam titles at the 2016 US Open. He has also won the 2014 Australian Open and 2015 French Open.
Information
Wawrinka's Australian Open woes
Wawrinka last went past the Australian Open second round in 2020. He suffered a first-round exit in 2021 before missing the 2022 edition. Wawrinka was then knocked out in Australian Open first round for three successive years (2023, 2024, and 2025).