Belinda Bencic says she is not sure what the Australian Open organizers are "waiting for" when it comes to giving Stan Wawrinka a wildcard as she believes the 40-year-old should have already received one.
12 days before the start of the Happy Slam, five of eight singles main draw wildcards have been gone.
Wawrinka, who previously announced that 2026 would be his last season, wasn't among the initial wildcard recipients. And since there are only three left, some fear the 2014 Australian Open champion may not even get a direct entry into the Happy Slam.
Wawrinka may be 40 years old and ranked at No. 157 in the world, but he has been proving at the ongoing at the United Cup that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level. The three-time Grand Slam champion defeated Arthur Rinderknech 5-7 7-6 (5) 7-6 (5) before falling just short in another marathon 4-6 7-6 (2) 6-7 (4) to Flavio Cobolli.
Bencic: I don't know what they are waiting for
After Switzerland won Group C in Perth to progress into the United Cup quarterfinal, Bencic was asked if Wawrinka deserved an Australian Open wildcard.
"It's not even a question. I don't know what they're waiting for," Bencic responded.
Wawrinka has spent more than six times on the court in 2026 as he played for three hours and 20 minutes against Rinderknech and also spent two hours and 57 minutes on the court against Cobolli. However, the former world No. 3 is enjoying it.
"It's my last year, so I need to spend the maximum of time on the court, so I make sure that happen in every match," the 40-year-old said when asked playing six hours across his two matches.
"Yeah, was a tough one. I think the level was great. I think Flavio was playing really good tennis. He did what he needed when he needed to win. He was putting a lot of pressure. It was not easy to find solution.
"In general I'm quite happy with my level. Of course, I would have loved to win it. But they finished the job. We are happy as a team. That is the most important."
When Wawrinka won the 2014 Australian Open, that marked his first Grand Slam triumph.
