Stan Wawrinka turns 40 and ends Coric’s ATP Challenger streak

Stan Wawrinka will celebrate his 40th birthday in the most familiar of ways - on the tennis court. The three-time Grand Slam champion turned in a vintage performance on the ATP Challenger Tour to reach the quarterfinals of the Napoli Cup.

His 6-2, 6-3 victory over Borna Coric on Thursday wasn’t just an impressive performance, it also brought an end to the Croat’s sensational 16-match winning streak on the Challenger Tour. Coric had won his last three tournaments on the circuit, but Wawrinka ensured there would be no fourth title on the clay of Naples.

A raucous crowd enthusiastically supported the then 39-year-old as he broke Coric’s serve five times - his trademark backhand in full flow to the delight of his fans. It means Wawrinka will spend his birthday on Friday battling for a place in the Naples semifinals. He faces number one seed - and local favorite - Luciano Darderi in what’s sure to be a mouthwatering spectacle.

**You can watch it live on the Tennis Channel app from 2pm local time.**

Memories and milestones

A 40th birthday is not something that many players get to celebrate on the ATP Tour. Wawrinka’s compatriots Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray retired before that milestone. Novak Djokovic is still competing at 37, while Roger Federer ended his playing days at age 41.

Speaking recently on the Nothing Major podcast, the Swiss gave no indication he’s ready to hang up his racquet just yet.

"I know that the day I stop, there will be no comeback. So I want to squeeze it until the end, that's for sure," he told hosts John Isner, Steve Johnson, Jack Sock and Sam Querrey.

Is it going to be a few months, is it going to be one year or two? I don't know, I think the results will tell us. I enjoy it if I feel competitive, if I feel that I can still win some good matches and feel happy with myself. If I don't have the level, this is not something I enjoy too much.

Wawrinka showed that he still has that level at last year’s Stockholm Open when he became the tournament’s oldest ever semifinalist at age 39. Not only that, but he reached the semis by defeating top seed Andrey Rublev to become the third-oldest semifinalist in ATP Tour history, behind Jimmy Connors and Ivo Karlovic.

“I cannot change my age, but most important for me is that when I enter the court, I always try to fight,” said Wawrinka after that win.

I try to improve and enjoy what I am doing. The reason I keep going is to play matches like this, with so many people giving me good energy on the court.

The Nothing Major podcast also gave him the opportunity to reflect on a glittering career that has yielded three Grand Slams and 16 Tour level titles. His first Major win came in 2014 at the Australian Open, when he beat Rafael Nadal in four sets - and the celebrations in Melbourne matched the achievement:

"After the final of a Slam, if you're not going to party now, you will never party during your whole career," he said. ”We had a big party. We closed the bar. I remember they had to lock the bar from inside because we were not allowed to stay longer."

He closed out that year in winning style of a different kind, teaming up with Roger Federer to help Switzerland to its first-ever Davis Cup title. It was not the first time the two had enjoyed success as a pair - they also won Olympic men’s doubles gold at the Beijing 2008 Games.

In 2015, Wawrinka became a two-time Grand Slam winner, pulling off a stunning run at Roland Garros. A quarterfinal defeat of Federer was followed by victory over Djokovic in the final to secure his only French Open title. With four Tour titles also under his belt that year, he reached a career-high ranking of three in the world.

Djokovic was again on the receiving end of a blockbuster Wawrinka performance in the 2016 US Open. The Swiss won in four sets to lift his third Grand Slam trophy.