TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 26th of May 2014. G. Garcia-Lopez d. S. Wawrinka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0. An interview with Stan Wawrinka
Q. Can you talk about the match and how you were feeling on the court.
STAN WAWRINKA: Not as good as I would like, but the match wasn’t good at all. I was trying to find my game, trying to find to be aggressive, trying to find anything, and I didn’t, you know.
For me, it’s not about the game. I don’t have all the answers for why I didn’t play that good. I feel some I need to take a few days off to see exactly what’s happen.
It’s a tough loss, for sure. But it’s like that. Sometimes you need to have some tough one to see exactly where you want to go and how you’re gonna do it.
Q. How much did nerves or pressure play into that performance?
STAN WAWRINKA: I was feeling okay. I was practicing well. I was feeling okay with the pressure, for sure. For myself I always put a lot of pressure on myself. But before the match and during the match it was not really about only the pressure.
I think it’s just a different story. Now it’s a different picture for my career. I need to put the puzzle back together, but differently than in the past, because now it’s, after winning Grand Slam, Masters 1000, being No. 3 in the world, everything is different, and I still didn’t find all the pieces.
Q. What are some of the things that are different? This is your first slam playing as a slam champion. How does that change your mindset or your preparation at all?
STAN WAWRINKA: The mindset and the preparation was the same, but it’s just that my level is different. So I’m playing so good in the practice, so sometimes in the match I expect more from myself. I’m not happy with small things. With little things, even when I’m playing okay, I’m not really happy because I know how well can I play.
So it’s more about that, the way I’m dealing with that, the way I want to put it together, and find a way how to be happy, how to play well, and how to win matches.
Q. Is that something that you’ve talked much to Roger about, sort of how to deal with the process of becoming a big favorite like that?
STAN WAWRINKA: Roger is not my coach, so I don’t…
He has a lot to deal with with his family, with his career, with everything. I’m not talking at all to Roger about that, you know. First, he doesn’t have time and I don’t have time, and I have a good team around me and I think I will be fine.
Q. How big of a disappointment is this for you? Were you expecting a lot from yourself this fortnight?
STAN WAWRINKA: It’s a big disappointment, for sure. I’m really sad with that loss, but cannot change. I have to accept. I have to see what was wrong, to see what I want to change, the way I want to do it, and now think about the future and not about that match anymore, because I can’t change the result.
For sure I would have loved to have won, to win a lot of matches here, but it’s not for this year. So now I need to think about the rest of the year. Not only the grass court season, but also the rest of all the year, because it’s still a lot to play and we will see.
Q. What did Magnus tell you before, during, and after the match?
STAN WAWRINKA: Before the match, we talked about the match, Magnus and I, as usual we talked about my opponent, how we would play. And then the story is not as funny, but we had a discussion, but I think we will have further discussions in the upcoming days.
Q. You said you are not at the level of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer. Does it mean that you understand the pressure they can feel when they walk on big tournaments year after year?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, not today. But since I won a slam, I realized that what they have been doing for years is just incredible. I think everyone knows it, but sometimes you don’t actually realize how difficult it is to do what they do, because sometimes journalists are sometimes tired to see them in final, especially Federer, because he’s been in so many finals for so many years.
But come on, it’s fabulous. And I know that I’m not at their level, because I didn’t win my first Grand Slam at the age of 20 like they did. I was 29. So things are different, and now I need to find a way to put the pieces back together for the end of the season, and tonight it’s a difficult loss.
I thought I had everything I needed to play a beautiful Roland Garros, but so far I had a very beautiful beginning of season, but I always want to have more and you’re never happy when you lose.
Q. You’re not back to the level you had in Australia? Are you afraid you might never get back to that level?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, I’m not afraid. Well, it’s difficult to have all the answers to your questions right now, but I’m both very confident and not confident enough.
I don’t want to walk on the court playing overly confident. What I’m saying is a bit messy, but I have to think about it.
