‘I Was Under Pressure to Play Well’ – Stanislas Wawrinka on Winning Olympic Gold With Roger Federer in Beijing

During his illustrious tennis career, Stanislas Wawrinka has had many memorable moments to cherish. For example, the Australian Open in 2014. The Swiss star defeated Rafael Nadal in the summit clash of that tournament to notch up his maiden Grand Slam title victory. However, before this, one such moment came at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Wawrinka had paired up with the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer, to play in men’s doubles at the Olympics. Seeded fourth, the pair went on to win the gold medal in that edition. The win came at an important time, especially after both had early exits in singles. Recently, Wawrinka reminisced about his golden moment in 2008.

Stanislas Wawrinka talks about his achievement with Roger Federer

During an interview, the 37-year-old opened up about his Olympics gold medal journey in 2008. He said, “Still, even when I turned professional, I was not thinking about the Grand Slams. Just playing at the Olympics in 2008 was a dream that I wanted to enjoy. I’m talking not just about winning gold, but also about the two weeks I spent with other athletes in the village, playing cards and having fun.”

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Further, he added, “Of course, playing doubles with Roger Federer was also special. I was under pressure to play well because he had lost in singles. I struggled in the first two matches, but we still won because … you know, Roger is Roger.”

Talking about his preparations, he said, “All I knew was that I was doing the right things. Talent is part of it, but you have to eat right, sleep right, recover well and drink a lot of water — you’ve got to stay hydrated when you’re playing in so many warm places. You need a great team around you.”

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Further, he went on to say, “Since you decide your own schedule in tennis, you have to find the right balance between playing tournaments and pure practice. Whatever is thrown at you — match time, opponent, weather — you have to adapt. It’s all a big puzzle. All those years after the Olympics, I was putting in the work. I was just missing a few pieces.”

Wawrinka opens his Wimbledon 2022 campaign today

Later today, the three-time Grand Slam champion will take on the tenth seed, Jannik Sinner of Italy, in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships 2022. Wawrinka is a wildcard entrant into the main draw of the tournament after slipping in the ATP rankings.

Can he prevail over Sinner? Let us know your views in the comments below.