Stan Wawrinka defeats Yoshihito Nishioka, becomes oldest man to win at US Open since Jimmy Connors

Stan Wawrinka has become the oldest man to win a match at the US Open since Jimmy Connors in 1992.

On Tuesday, August 29, Wawrinka took on Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the New York Major. The Swiss star came through the contest with relative ease, winning 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to progress to the next round.

Having won their previous encounter at the 2017 Indian Wells Masters, Wawrinka now leads Nishioka 2-0 in the head-to-head.

With his US Open win against Nishioka, Wawrinka, aged 38 years and five months, is the oldest male player to win a match at the season's final Grand Slam since Jimmy Connors in 1992.

Connors, then 40 years old, defeated Jaime Oncins 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in the opening round. His run at the tournament, however, would end at the hands of Ivan Lendl, who won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0. While Lendl went on to lose to eventual champion Stefan Edberg in the semifinals, Connors never played at the US Open again after 1992.

Wawrinka, on the other hand, will be hoping that he makes a deep run at the tournament this year. The World No. 49 will next play the winner of the match between Tomas Martin Etcheverry and qualifier Otto Virtanen.

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Stan Wawrinka: "I'm happy that I can still perform at that level, that I can still be here winning"

Stan Wawrinka at the 2023 US Open.

Stan Wawrinka has had a decent season in 2023. He has a 22-15 win-loss record this year and has won almost $900,000 in prize money. He came close to winning a title in Umag when he reached the final, before losing to Alexei Popyrin to finish as the runner-up.

Wawrinka has also had some notable wins on the tour against the likes of Hubert Hurkacz (United Cup), Holger Rune (Indian Wells Masters), and Frances Tiafoe (Cincinnati Open).

The 38-year-old's win against Yoshihito Nishioka at the US Open was his 45th match at the tournament, which he won in 2016. Looking back on his time at the season's last Grand Slam over the years, Wawrinka professed his love for the city of New York and the atmosphere generated in the matches at The Big Apple.

"I love New York. Is one of my favorite city. I always say to my team, my friend, when I come back, I'm happy to be back. I love the atmosphere. Of course, it's super intense. But we here only for two, three weeks maximum. You want to enjoy as much as possible," he said at the post-match press conference.

"I always love the condition[s] here. They [are] quite tough condition[s], more physical condition, with a lot of humidity. Can be really hot also. This year is a little bit slower. It's always been some good condition for my game style. Always enjoy to be coming back here," he continued.

"I'm happy that I can still perform at that level, that I can still be here winning first round and hopefully keep pushing myself," he concluded.