“Clearly not” Stan Wawrinka makes surprising remarks on Roger Federer’s comeback


“Clearly not” Stan Wawrinka makes surprising remarks on Roger Federer’s comeback

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka

Compatriots Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka are credited with bringing Switzerland back on the tennis map. While Roger is a 20-time Grand Slam champion, Wawrinka has himself managed 3 Slams of his own in the decades that were dominated by the trio of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. All of Wawrinka’s Grand Slam wins have come against either Nadal or Djokovic.

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Federer and Wawrinka also brought Switzerland’s first Gold medal in over 16 years when the pair won the Doubles Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was also just the second tennis medal won at the Summer Olympics by any Swiss Olympian. Having been the flag bearers of their country for so long in the sport, Wawrinka and Federer have known each other quite well.

As both players are currently nursing their respective injuries and have spent a long spell on the sidelines. With Wawrinka planning a return to the Tour at the upcoming 2022 French Open that begins in May, he talked about the possibility of Roger making it back to the Tour in good form that could help him challenge for Grand Slams once again.

“I think it’s just impossible to know right now because from what he says, what he shows and what he does or doesn’t do now and in the last few months, he’s too far to know exactly where it will go. He said it until he started again more intensely the physical condition, he does not know. 

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“Especially with his age and with this kind of big injury, as long as we are not in the concrete of physical training and tennis training, we do not know when we will come back and how,” said Wawrinka speaking in a podcast with L’Equipe where he talked about a variety of things around tennis.

“There’s still the flame” Stan Wawrinka on Roger Federer

Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka at the Olympics 2008

Roger turned Pro in 1998 while Wawrinka joined him in 2002. The two players have an age difference of 4 years between them with Roger the senior among the two. Having been the tour veterans now, the two players know the effect of injuries on the body and what impact it has on the athletes.

“Anyway, till the moment we haven’t closed the chapter, there’s still the desire, there’s still the flame. Will his level be the same as five years ago? No, clearly not. But again, we have seen that it is not always a question of level that makes it possible to have results, there are plenty of factors that come into play in any tournament. 

“The most important thing is not to know what level you can reach but what is the flame that you have in you to still do whatever it takes to push the limits,” added Wawrinka further.

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While Wawrinka plans on returning in the coming months, Federer’s comeback remains a question as he will make the decision on the advice of his medical team who believe that the former World No. 1 could make a return not before May at least. However, with the Tour focussing on clay tournaments during that period, it might actually be the start of Grass season when Federer is back on the Tour.

Also Read: “I’m not intending to play the full schedule” Novak Djokovic CONFESSES he won’t be playing the whole tour