Even at 38, Wawrinka still rocks the tennis tour: “Sometimes I surprise myself”

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Blick: Stan Wawrinka, where on the tour is the best coffee?
Stanislaus Wawrinka: (laughs) At my house. When my beautiful machine runs out.

They say you are a big coffee lover. How many cups do you treat yourself to per day?
Between four and eight. This is my little pleasure in everyday life. I can finish with a nice cup of coffee – and it pushes me at the same time.

In 2015, you even ordered a coffee in Paris-Bercy during a match against Rafael Nadal…
… and I won the game after that too. It was some kind of magic potion. No seriously. It was also late that evening and I needed some energy.

You’ll have a similar energizing effect from the tremendous support you’ll experience at this year’s tournaments. What is she doing to you?
The support from the fans is great. It’s just great to be able to experience that. And you are right: this support helps you, it gives me adrenaline during the games. And he’s clearly one of the reasons why I continue to love tennis so much.

Do you feel that the Stan Wawrinka brand has become even more popular this year?
Yes, I feel it, people are happy to see me. I feel like this also has to do with the disappearance of my generation. Roger Federer has already resigned, Rafael Nadal has been missing for a long time due to his injury. I think the fans are now trying to take as much of our older generation as possible. When I play, I can now do so with huge support from the audience. That is why I am now looking forward to the tournament in Gstaad.

It’s been 20 years since you first took part in Gstaad – and 10 years since your last appearance here.
Precisely. My expectation is huge. Unfortunately, I have not always been able to achieve my best performances in Switzerland in the past. Probably also because I put too much pressure on myself and also because I sometimes concentrated on other tournaments. Now I just want to enjoy it. Because I don’t know how many more chances I will have to play in Switzerland in my career.

Do you dream of a home win?
Of course I’d love to. Lifting another trophy is one of my stated goals before I retire. But I also have to be realistic: although I played very well at times, I have never come close to winning a tournament in recent months. I know I am capable of beating the opponents in Gstaad’s field. But I also know that the level is incredibly balanced. I have to work my way from match to match.

In general, how far ahead do you plan your career?
(thinks) You know, the past few years with the knee injury and the two foot surgeries have taken up a lot of my time and energy. I’m just happy to be back. I set myself no time goals, no deadlines. I do what is possible. From now on, my intention is to finish this season really well. Then I’ll see where I stand in the winter. I will redefine my intentions and see what my body says. But like I said…

… Yes?
No shortage of goals. The 2024 Olympics are as much a part of my dreams as winning another title or climbing the world rankings. I know I can get a little bit better – physically, but also in terms of tennis.

At Wimbledon (round three away against Novak Djokovic) you gave insight into your enormous training effort – with days of sometimes four hours of tennis and then another hour and a half in the weight room. In Paris you played two impressively intense five-part sets. Are you surprised how well your body is holding up at 38?
As for training, that’s normal for me. I have to invest a lot to survive on the tour. But yes: sometimes I surprise myself – in terms of motivation. How easy can I say: Yes, today I am training very hard again. I am surprised and happy at the same time that I can still play at such a level at my age. But I’ve also built my entire career on it to stick with it for as long as possible.

You once said you wouldn’t find the emotion of tennis anywhere else. Is that why you respect a bottom line?
Clearly. I already know that the day I will stop will be a difficult day. I live my whole life from the emotions of tennis. But the day will come, I have to accept that. And I have to make sure it doesn’t get as bad as possible. (smiles)

The footsteps of you and Roger Federer are huge for the young Swiss. How do you rate the progress of the players coming down?
We have some promising players. Marc-Andrea Hüsler had a strong season last year. He has already proven that he can break into the top 50. And with Dominic Stricker and Leandro Riedi, there are two players who have a lot of potential but now have to show what they are capable of. It will be interesting to watch them. Domi has now been to the French Open and Wimbledon, he’s coming – I always kind of follow him. And I like to compete with him in doubles in Gstaad.

Source : Blick