Stan Wawrinka said he was ‘expecting more’ from himself after crashing out of the first round of Wimbledon on Monday.
Wawrinka, who has fallen down the rankings to 267th in the world following a lengthy injury hiatus, lost 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, to Italy’s Jannik Sinner. The 37-year-old struggled with his first serve by only getting 49% of those shots in, as well as committing 43 unforced errors. It is the 12th time in his career he has fallen at the first hurdle at a major event and the seventh time he has done so at Wimbledon.
“I’m disappointed with the way I was playing today, with the level I got. I think I have been pushing myself way better during practice. I was expecting more, and I’m for sure disappointed with the loss,” the former world No.3 said afterward.
Wawrinka was sidelined from the sport for a year due to a foot injury which ended up requiring two surgeries. The first was done in March 2021 before he underwent another procedure in June. The surgeries occurred just four years after he underwent two other operations on his left knee. He returned to competitive tennis in March.
Coming back from another injury is far from straightforward for the Swiss who has won 16 ATP titles in his career. Nevertheless, he has high expectations which make his loss to Sinner even more frustrating for him.
“There are some positives. Right now I’m more disappointed than happy with what happened,” he said.
“I could have done much more. I was really frustrated in the match to see the level I was producing today.”
So what was the issue for Wawrinka that hindered his ability to play at the level that he believes he can play at? When asked if his difficulty was more physical or mental, he acknowledge that his confidence levels are a problem.
“I think I need to keep going, keep working out. I’m thinking a bit too much,” Wawrinka admits. “I’m looking for confidence, and I need wins for that. A match like that doesn’t help. That’s part of the process, and I need to stay positive.”
So far this season Wawrinka has played eight Tour matches, winning just three of them. He heads into the upcoming American hardcourt swing seeking a resurgence in his form. Since triumphing at the 2016 US Open, he has only won one Tour title which was on clay.
“I need to go back to practice and keep doing what I’m trying to do, keep improving in the practice to hopefully get some wins.” He concludes.