Stan Wawrinka has revealed that his “passion” for tennis remains as high as ever after being asked about his long-term future in tennis at the Swiss Indoors in Basel.
Wawrinka, who celebrated his 40th birthday back in March, is one of the leading tennis stars of the past two decades, reaching a career-high of world No 3 and winning Australian Open, French Open, and US Open titles during his acclaimed career.
Currently ranked 158th in the world, the three-time Grand Slam champion received a wildcard into his home event in Basel this week and produced two impressive main-draw performances.
Wawrinka defeated Miomir Kecmanovic — a player 106 spots above him in the ATP Rankings, and 14 years younger than him — 6-1, 7-6(3) in round one, before pushing fourth seed Casper Ruud in round two.
The 40-year-old was unable to defeat world No 11 and recent Stockholm Open champion Ruud, though still impressed in a 6-4, 7-6(5) defeat to the three-time major runner-up.
Having entered his fifth decade and falling down the rankings in recent years, with many of his contemporaries already retired, questions around Wawrinka’s long-term future in the sport have lingered for some time.
However, in quotes reported by Le Matin from Basel after his match against Ruud, the Swiss revealed that he wanted to keep giving himself “the chance” to compete at the highest level.
“You never know if it’s the last one or not,” said Wawrinka.
“I’m happy to have been able to show a good level. If I continue, it’s to feel capable of beating many more players. From the outside, you see 40 years old, 150th in the world, you judge me by what I’ve done in the past.
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“I managed to win Grand Slams, and people wonder why I’m still here, why I’m fighting in Challengers. But passion has no age. When you can still experience these emotions, you give yourself the chance.”
Wawrinka’s appearance at the Swiss Indoors was his 18th at the ATP 500 tournament, a total that only compatriot Roger Federer (19) can top in the Open Era.
Asked whether this was his last appearance at the tournament, the Swiss — who made his event debut back in 2003 — revealed his hope that he would return in 2026, an appearance that would see him match Federer’s record.
He added: “For my part, there’s a little hope. But you’ll have to ask the tournament boss [Roger Brennwald].
“If my ranking doesn’t improve, it’s going to be difficult to get into the draw. A year is a long time, especially at my age. It will depend on my body and where I’m at.
“In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the tournaments I have left.”
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