DUBAI: Stan Wawrinka returns to a place of cherished memories this week, back at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis where he lifted the trophy in 2016. Now 40 and competing in the final season of a storied career that once saw him rise to a career-high No. 3 in the world, the Swiss great is embracing one last chapter on the Tour.
Excerpts:Stanimal captured the physical power of your game, do you think the mental strength behind your success was sometimes overlooked?That’s the beauty of tennis, it has many parts to it. It’s a big puzzle. You need to put every piece of the puzzle in its place — fitness, tennis, mentally, and also you need to be in the right place. It took a lot of hard work, a lot of energy to push and find myself as a player. It was important for me to work on myself, my mindset, and how I was going to go in with confidence, ready to beat the best players in the world. It took me years to achieve that. I’m really happy with what I’ve done. Was it tougher to break through in the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era than it is today in the Alcaraz-Sinner duopoly?Those five players you mentioned, and also Andy Murray are the best players we saw in the game. It has been amazing for me to face them, to be able to play against the Big Four for more than 15 years. It was a challenge. But first I’m a fan of tennis, I’m passionate about the game. I always enjoyed watching them, as a tennis fan and player. It was an opportunity for me to play the best players in the game. Right now we are seeing that the level of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has been amazingly high. What they’ve been doing already for a few years, winning all the Grand Slams between them, is amazing to watch. Which of your three Grand Slam titles gave you the most satisfaction?It’s tough to choose, but it’s also my job to answer the question. If I have to pick one title… (exhales) they have all been really special, but one is the French Open (2015). I grew up playing on clay, I practised a lot in Spain, also coming from the French part of Switzerland, Roland Garros was the one that we watched the most as kids. That’s also the one I won as a junior (2003). To beat Novak in the final there was really special. Was retirement a sudden decision, or something that had been building in the months before your announcement?The last few years, I’ve been asking myself when to stop but I never had an answer. At the end of last year, I finally had the answer. I realised that I was most at peace to play for one more year, to push one last time. I’m still passionate about the game, I wish I could play forever, but nobody can play forever. I also wanted to finish my 20-plus year career on a good note. So I’m happy that my level is still there and physically I’m feeling good. You appear leaner now than at your peak? I always try to push myself to be the best player I can to be. You have to do that to be able to stay in the game for 20 years. It was challenging, fitness wise, especially with the injuries. I have always been trying to optimise, to do what’s best for me, what’s best for my body so that I could push my own limits. You were known for those statement shorts and now, in your final year, you’re making a statement with this 40-Love tee…Last year I turned 40, so Yonex did this for me as a present. The ‘Love’ stands for my love of the game, my passion.
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