Stan Wawrinka admits he has struggled to prepare for tournaments due to feeling “broken” by the mammoth effort he has put into returning to his best form. The former world No 3 feels he is “paying” for his recovery from foot surgery.
A heroic effort has seen Wawrinka return to No 45 in the ATP world rankings. However, the three-time Grand Slam champion’s form has dipped of late.
Wawrinka was beaten by Alexander Shevchenko in the last-32 of the Swiss Indoors on Tuesday. A week earlier, he was comfortably defeated by the world No 74 Tomas Machac at the Stockholm Open.
At the age of 38, Wawrinka is feeling the effects of a difficult return from foot surgery. The Swiss star reappeared on the tour in March 2022 following a year out and has spent the last 18 months attempting to climb the rankings.
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In a heartbreaking interview, he has opened up on feeling “broken” by the experience and has explained that fatigue has left him too tired to prepare for tournaments.
Speaking to TDG Sports, he said: “I feel that for a few weeks, I have been very tired, even broken. After Astana, there were two or three times I wanted to work but I couldn’t because I was far too tired.
“I feel like I’m paying for all the efforts I’ve made since my return from injury. I really wanted to regain a certain level and I had to push myself to the maximum for that.”
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Despite the boundaries standing in the way of Wawrinka’s fitness, he insists he will battle on. Asked if he will play into his 40s, the crowd favourite responded: “I don’t set my goals this way. When we plan preparations, work blocks, we do it over several years because that’s how I’ve always worked. At my age, there are several parameters that come into play.
“As long as I feel motivated and everything goes well like this year, I want to continue. Now, you have to know that it takes a lot of effort, more than in the past, more than you can see.
“These are daily sacrifices, which are compensated by the love I receive wherever I play. It remains to be seen until when I could hold.”
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