2014 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka returns to the sight of his first Grand Slam triumph, as the three-time Grand Slam champion had been ruled out of action for six months due to a knee injury which required surgery.
However, Switzerland’s number two has not withdrawn from the Australian Open, and it remains to be seen how the former world number three will do at Melbourne Park. He is drawn in the tricky bottom half of the draw, where he could clash with Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and compatriot Roger Federer in the last four.
Wawrinka stunned world number one Rafael Nadal in the final four years ago to claim his first Grand Slam singles title, and he was inevitably asked about his health.
“I’m here so I’m better, it’s been six months now, it’s been tough, really tough, to get back to be able to play again but I’m feeling better, slowly getting there, first thing was a last minute choice to come here for a week to practice without knowing if I was able to play or not, it was the right choice after a few months being home, practicing a lot to get my knee a little better.”
The three-time Slam champion is pleased to be back at Melbourne Park, and it will be intriguing to see how his knee will react.
“For me, I think the fact that I’m here, it’s a big victory, it’s the best I could have done after surgery to be here sitting in front of you, saying I’ll be playing the first match that’s something really from my side, especially from the knee it’s getting way better.
“I still have a lot of work to do physically, tennis wise to be at my top level but I’m going to take the time I need for that and I know I need to start somewhere and here was a good start, it’s a good place to start, to get pushed to see how mentality I’m going to react how I’m going to feel when I play matches.”
Wawrinka withdrew from the Tie-Break Tens exhibition in Melbourne citing that he was not ready to compete with Milos Raonic replacing him at the last minute.
“For sure, where I come, I was injured, there was a lot of up and downs, I pulled out because I wasn’t ready to play, “the question was if he was not ready to play a super tiebreak, why would we be ready to play a best of five set match?” but nothing compares a super tiebreak you need to be ready for quick points, I wasn’t ready at all to do that.”
The 2014 winner is going to be careful with his knee, and revealed that it was a last minute decision to participate at the first Grand Slam of the year.
“It’s the most important for me to be careful with my knee, i waited the last minute to see If i would play or not, we decided with my team to practice today, to make the decision if I was ready or not.”
Wawrinka’s successful partnership with Swede Magnus Norman ended last year, and the Swiss was upset that their partnership ended during a tough period.
“For sure it is already a tough moment for myself to get surgery, six months to be back, it was for sure, it was tough to hear from him that he would stop from that moment, when you are in a tough place like that as an athlete, you want the people who know you the best to stick with you, your team and family will help you the most where you want to be.
“For me Magnus was my coach but he was a friend and even closer as a friend it was tough to know he will not be here to start again with me, I was more sad than angry with him at the end of the day, I will always be grateful for all of the work, we have done together, winning Grand Slams with him and also that’s what I want to keep from our relationship but for sure when he told me it was the not the best moment to tell me, we were stopping like that.”
Wawrinka begins his quest for a second Australian Open crown against Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis on Tuesday.
