MELBOURNE – The 80s generation is making its presence felt in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic (38), Marin Cilic (37) and Stan Wawrinka (40) are through to the third round of the Australian Open, showing they still have fuel in the tank.
“Every player is different, some have tougher battles with injuries, but I feel that, in general, we’re in a great era. Players can still play great tennis at 35, 36 or 37,” said 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic.
The Croatian returned to the third round of the Australian Open for the first time since 2022 and confirmed that his tennis remains youthful after three seasons in which he played only four Grand Slams. At Wimbledon 2025, he produced a strong run, reaching the round of 16.
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“The sport keeps evolving, there’s more science. We’re more aware of what we need to eat and how to take care of our bodies. You see it in Novak: he looks after his body in an incredible way. That gives him a huge advantage to keep playing,” added the 37-year-old.
Djokovic, 38 and currently world No. 4, is the ultimate symbol of this evergreen generation. He holds the records as the oldest champion at Roland Garros and the US Open, as well as the oldest player to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings.
The Serbian’s achievements — 24 Grand Slam titles — place him in a category of his own, admits Wawrinka: “He’s in a different league. We never compare ourselves to him. He’s always there. He’ll always be at the top as long as he keeps playing. It’s incredible how he can motivate and push everyone.”
For his part, Wawrinka reached the third round of a Grand Slam just two months shy of turning 41. He had not gone that far at a major since the 2023 US Open. If he beats Taylor Fritz this Saturday, he will reach the second week of a Slam for the first time in almost six years — a positive start to what is expected to be his final season on tour.
The veterans’ success should be closely watched by the new generation, Cilic said: “The younger generations are here to learn from those experiences.”
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