Stan Wawrinka Reunites With Coach Norman To Write Final Chapter Of Career - UBITENNIS

Stan Wawrinka Reunites With Coach Norman To Write Final Chapter Of Career

The former world No.3 confirmed Norman will be in charge of his offseason training going into the 2023 season.

By Adam Addicott
3 Min Read
Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland is pictured in action during day three of ATP Fever-Tree Championships tennis tournament at Queen's Club in west London on June 19, 2019.

At the age of 37, Stan Wawrinka isn’t ready to pull the plug on his career yet as he turns to the help of a familiar face.  

The three-time Grand Slam champion has once again started to work with Sweden’s Magnus Norman after previously collaborating with Daniel Vallverdu. Norman is a former world No.2 who coached Wawrinka between 2013-2020. During that partnership, they won 13 Tour trophies and the Swiss tennis star peaked at a ranking high of third in the world. Norman was also named ATP Coach of the Year in 2016. 

Speaking about the reunion at the Swiss Open, Wawrinka described the Swede as ‘the person who knows his game the best.’ He said they hope to ‘write a final chapter’ together in reference to his career reaching its final stages. 

“There was change after the US Open,” said Wawrinka as quoted by Le Matin. “I decided to stop working with Dani Vallverdu and, with Magnus, we are looking for the best possible balance to write a final chapter. He is the one who knows my game best, the one who has helped me the most in my career. He will take care of the offseason and the biggest tournaments including those of the Grand Slam. For the rest, we will discuss.”

There is still plenty of gas remaining in Wawrinka which he illustrated in the first round of the Swiss Open by stunning world No.2 Casper Ruud in straight sets. It is his most high-profile win since defeating Novak Djokovic at the 2019 US Open. This year Wawrinka is making his 15th appearance in Basel.

One noticeable absence from the tournament is multiple champion Roger Federer who retired from tennis last month at the Laver Cup. Something Wawrinka believes contributed to the wave of support he received from the crowd whilst playing against Ruud. 

“I have never felt such support,” he said. “The public carried me, it was strong. I don’t quite know how to explain it. There is Roger’s retirement, and the fact that I had not played in Switzerland for a long time. People realize that a generation is going to leave. But I’m hanging on, I don’t want to leave.” 

Wawrinka, who is currently ranked 194th in the world, will next play Brandon Nakashima in the second round. Should he defeat the American, it will be the sixth time in his career he has reached the last eight in Basel. 

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