Positioned at third in the world with a trio of grand slam titles under his belt, Stan Wawrinka will be the first to say that he is a long way from becoming world No.1.
The Swiss veteran prides himself as being the player who performs at his best on the big stage of the tour. He demonstrated this last year at the US Open when he downed Novak Djokovic to win a major title for the third consecutive year in a row.
This season has seen a more steady start by the Swiss with back-to-back semifinal appearances in Brisbane and the Australian Open. It is an encouraging start for the 31-year-old, who appears to be at peace with the realisation that he may never reach No.1 in the rankings.
“I can not imagine being number 1 in the world at the moment because I am far from it,” he told RTS Sport.
“To get there I should do twice what I did last year, that is, win two Grand Slams, some Masters 1000s … I’m far away (from that).”
Besides his battle to generate consistency in his game, Wawrinka has also been troubled by a knee injury in recent weeks. Despite his run to the last four in Melbourne, the world No.3 appeared to be suffering visible discomfort during some of his matches. Fortunately, that discomfort has since subsided as he approaches the later stages of his career.
“My knee is better, I am doing a good rehabilitation and soon I will be able to play at the highest level,” he said.
“In my head, I feel still young and that’s what drives me to continue. I know the end is coming and that leads you to reflect more, but I feel good.”
Blessed with one of the most beautiful backhand shots in the entire men’s game, the Swiss player remains relatively modest for a three-time grand slam champion. Describing himself as ‘not the most talented player’ on the tour, it is his love for the sport which drives the Lausanne-born player to succeed.
Wawrinka’s philosophical outlook on life is one that is inspired by his upbringing. He grew up surrounded by adults with mental difficulties, who his parents hired to work on their farm. The Swiss player once said growing up surrounded by people with learning difficulties helped his career by making him realise that ‘life was tough.’
Known by many as ‘stanimal’ on the tour, Wawrinka doesn’t see himself as a hero due to his previous achievements. In fact, the 31-year-old believes no tennis player should be perceived as a hero.
“For me, the heroes are not the athletes, I have achieved important things, but I have not changed the world. For me, being a hero implies different things that an elite tennis player generates,” the US Open champion explained.
The next stage in Wawrinka’s journey will be at the Duty Tennis Championships in Dubai next week where he will be the defending champion.
