Djokovic one away from 400 Grand Slam match wins; Wawrinka makes history

Novak Djokovic inched closer to a historic milestone at the Australian Open on Thursday, securing his 399th Grand Slam match victory with a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli. The 38-year-old Serbian legend now stands just one win away from becoming the first player ever to reach 400 Grand Slam match victories.

Djokovic, seeking an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, would surpass Ken Rosewall’s long-standing record as the oldest man in the Open era to win a major singles championship if successful in Melbourne. Rosewall was 37 when he claimed his final major in 1972.

Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka made history of his own, becoming the first man over 40 to reach the third round of a major since Rosewall in 1978. The 40-year-old Swiss veteran, who has announced his retirement at year’s end, outlasted 21-year-old French qualifier Arthur Gea in a marathon 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) battle lasting 4½ hours—the longest match of the tournament so far.

“I think I’ll pick up a beer. I deserve one!” Wawrinka told the appreciative crowd at John Cain Arena. The three-time Grand Slam champion will face ninth-seeded American Taylor Fritz in the next round.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner continued his quest for back-to-back Australian Open titles, dispatching Australia’s James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

Naomi Osaka’s tournament took a dramatic turn when her 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Romania’s Sorana Cirstea ended with visible tension between the players. “I think this was her last Australian Open so, OK, sorry she was mad about it,” Osaka remarked afterward, hinting at an on-court disagreement.

With Sinner facing an Australian wild card, tournament organizers placed him in the prime-time night slot, relegating 10-time Australian Open champion Djokovic to the afternoon session. This scheduling shift didn’t appear to affect Djokovic, although he expressed visible frustration after dropping a service game in the third set—his first of the tournament.

“When I have more time, then I obviously try to look at my game and different elements that I can really improve. Otherwise, what’s the point?” Djokovic said of his offseason preparations. “That’s the kind of mentality I try to nurture. It’s been allowing me to play at the highest level at this age.”

Women’s world number one Iga Świątek advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Marie Bouzkova, later revealing she draws inspiration from Djokovic’s approach to career longevity. “It’s good to look at people like that and find inspiration,” the six-time major winner said. “For sure I’ve got to learn to appreciate every single match.”

In the women’s draw, defending champion Madison Keys overcame a double-break deficit in the second set to defeat fellow American Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 7-5. When asked about her chances of retaining the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, Keys offered a lighthearted response: “Whether or not I do repeat it, I still get to keep Daphne at home!”

Fourth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova, runner-up at the last two major tournaments, continued her strong form with a 6-1, 6-4 win over doubles champion Katerina Siniakova. Sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula dominated McCartney Kessler 6-0, 6-2 in an all-American matchup.

In the men’s draw, eighth-seeded Ben Shelton, a semifinalist last year, advanced to the third round with a convincing 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Australian qualifier Dane Sweeny. However, two prominent seeds fell: Croatian veteran Marin Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, ousted 21st-seeded Denis Shapovalov, while Czech player Tomas Machac upset 2023 Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets.

Tournament attendance continues to break records, with Thursday’s combined day and night crowd reaching 103,720—the fourth record-setting day in five days. The cumulative total for the main draw has now surpassed 508,000 spectators, prompting discussions about venue crowding.

Before the night session began, spectators observed a moment of silence to honor the 15 people killed in last month’s Bondi Beach terror attack. The day had been designated as a national day of mourning in Australia, with signs throughout Melbourne Park highlighting the message: “Light Will Win.”