At the age of 32, Stan Wawrinka has no intention of planning his retirement from the sport.
This week’s ATP top-five are dominated by players in their 30s with Roger Federer being the oldest at 35. It is a reassuring fact for three-time grand slam champion Wawrinka, who is seeking a major title for the fourth consecutive year in 2017. The Swiss player was a late bloomer on the men’s tour. His first taste of major glory occurred at the age of 28 when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open. Later that same year he broke into the world’s top-five for the first time.
“I think tennis has changed a lot in recent years. Fifteen years ago, we stopped working at the age of 30. Today is the age of maturity!” Wawrinka told RTS Sport.
“Now everything has become more physical. More professional too: all the players are surrounded with a coach, a physical trainer and they are followed by physiotherapists. This is why the career of a tennis player lasts longer.”
Wawrinka’s rise to the top of the sport was never guaranteed. At a younger age, the Swiss player once admitted that he was not at the same level as the best in the world according to RTS. It was the personal dedication of Wawrinka that has got him to where he is now. Since 2005, he has scored 48 wins over top-10 players and has defeated every member of the ‘big four’ at some point in his career.
“It is true that, younger, I did not have the talent of the best in my age group. So I had to work hard to catch up with those who had a better feeling with the racket than I did at that time.”
Approaching the later stages of his career, time is running out for Wawrinka. It is for this reason why he doesn’t want to ‘waste time’ on the tour. Leading into next week’s French Open, he has experienced a far from perfect preparation with a trio of early exits in tournaments. So far this season Wawrinka has only managed to reach one final at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. On the other hand, he is known as a player who produces his best tennis on the biggest stages in the sport.
“At this point where I am now in my career, I do not want to stop there! I want more, I want to try to do the best under the day I stop, always have this feeling of having had more than I hoped.” Said Wawrinka.
Prior to Roland Garros, Wawrinka will play in this week’s Geneva Open. Awarded a bye in the first round, the defending champion will play either Joao Sousa or Rogerio Dutra Silva in his first match.
