Aryna Sabalenka praises ‘legends’ Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic: ‘There’s no age anymore’ | ATP Tour
australian open
Sabalenka hails Djokovic, Wawrinka and Cilic as ‘legends’: ‘There is no difference in age anymore’
The world’s No. 1 affects the trio’s lifespan
January 23, 2026
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Aryna Sabalenka was full of praise for Stan Wawrinka in Melbourne on Friday.
Sam Jacott
On Thursday, 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka became the oldest man to reach the third round of the Australian Open since Ken Rosewall in 1978, while 37-year-old Marin Cilic showed longevity by recording his 599th tour-level victory to equal Goran Ivanisevic. Ivanisevic, became the Croatian male player with the most wins in the Open era.
Then there was 38-year-old record 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, who reached the third round in straight sets on Rod Laver Arena. The trio featured in the Australian Open draw back in 2007 and their remarkable staying power has become one of the defining talking points of the opening week of the Melbourne tournament.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was the latest star to express her admiration for the trio on Friday.
“These guys are legends, the GOAT, especially Novak,” Sabalenka said. “He’s been developing his game his whole career. Now, he’s really suited up for young boys. He’s playing incredible tennis. I think it comes down to your physicality and, of course, mentality, the way you play tennis. He’s very fit, healthy. He’s really focused. Yeah, at this age, he’s playing incredible tennis.
“I feel like there’s no age anymore in sports. It just depends on how you handle everything and if you have a smart team around you. I feel like you can extend your career by I don’t know how many years.”
At 27, Sabalenka is at the peak of her powers. The top seed lifted the trophy in Melbourne in 2023 and 2024 and reached the final again in 2025. But will she still be competing in ten years?
“I’m not sure,” Sabalenka said. “I can’t say anything because you never know. You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. For me, ideally, I’d love to, I don’t know, maybe have a kid at 32 or something. But knowing me, I know I like to take on tough challenges, so I feel like even after having kids, I’d be willing to challenge myself, like come back and see if I still have it, just to challenge myself.
“So we might see me on tour trying to play the role of a grandmother. Hopefully I can push these young girls. Let’s talk about this in 10 years. That’s a long time.”
