Stan Wawrinka: "I'm going to get some big results this year"
Stan Wawrinka put in an impressive performance in the first round of the Rotterdam ATP 500 tournament and is confident of making a splash this season.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Feb 14, 2023, 06:08 pm
We remember: In March of last year, both Dominic Thiem (wrist injury) and Stan Wawrinka (foot injury) returned to the tour at the Challenger tournament in Marbella. While the Lichtenwörther is still looking for his form around eleven months later, the three-time Grand Slam winner from Switzerland seems to be gradually approaching the top of the world again.
The latest proof of this is Wawrinka's first appearance at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam. The 37-year-old showed an extremely strong performance against the unpredictable Alexander Bublik and, thanks to his 7: 6 (5) and 6: 4 success, he deservedly made it into the round of the last 16. "I think that's my best performance since I came back from my injury last year," Wawrinka told ATP after the match.
"I've worked really hard to get fit and feel good again," Wawrinka said. He felt "great" against Bublik, both in terms of play and physicality. "Hopefully I can continue like this." In the round of 16, the former world number three meets Richard Gasquet.
The tournament in Rotterdam should be the starting signal for a successful spring for Wawrinka. Although he was able to set highlights again and again in a playful way, the 37-year-old is only 130th in the world rankings. And thus also behind Thiem (99). But the experienced Swiss isn't worried about that: "I know that the process takes time, especially at my age. But I also know that with the way I play, how I train and how hard I work, I'm going to get some big results this year."