Stan Wawrinka defeated Laslo Djere 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6 in the first round of the Australian Open on hard court on 19 January 2026. As the pre-match favourite, Wawrinka delivered as expected, though Djere pushed him hard in the opening set before the Swiss veteran asserted control across the middle two sets. The fourth set proved competitive, requiring a tie-break to settle, but Wawrinka's experience proved decisive when it mattered. The result keeps Wawrinka's Australian Open campaign on track as he targets deeper runs at the season's opening major.