Is Stan Wawrinka nearing the end of his illustrious career? Or does he still have more to give on the tennis court? Amidst his involvement in the Stockholm Open, the Swiss athlete paused to address the speculation surrounding his retirement. After securing an emphatic win, he hilariously apologizes to a fan after he turns around his form on social media. Significantly, Wawrinka hopes to improve his Shanghai performance as he enters this week’s competition as a wildcard.

He defeated Flavio Cobolli last week to get his first Top 50 victory of the year. After that, he followed it up with another impressive performance. Wawrinka had a distinct advantage in pivotal situations due to his excellent serve. He has a good chance of finishing off Brandon Nakashima in the following round, as the experienced Swiss player looks to extend his comeback on the circuit. That rocket serve will be the key to keeping him alive in a tennis match.

A fan took to his Twitter handle and wrote, “I keep thinking Stan Wawrinka is on the edge of retirement, and then he gets a W out of nowhere as a sort of “go f**k yourself, Scott” statement.” Within no time, Wawrinka replied with a one-word apology that changed the dimension of the comment.

He wrote, “😂😂 sorry.”

On the other hand, Wawrinka’s inability to advance past the fourth round of a Grand Slam since 2020 serves as a stark reminder of his current challenges on the ATP tour. Fans had optimism for a comeback when he momentarily returned to the world’s top 50 last year. During that time, he demonstrated his strength as a competitor.

Looking into that, Stan’s ranking has subsequently fallen outside of the top 200, though. And this has many wondering if he will still be in the sport. In light of the unexpected exits of former rivals Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, Wawrinka discussed his opinions on the changing nature of the game. Moreover, he addressed the issues surrounding his retirement.

The Swiss tennis player was asked about the impact of Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal’s retirement on the tour. He detailed it in an interview with Tennissportalen TV before this week’s Stockholm Open. After that, Wawrinka retorted, “No, the tour is always the same,” highlighting his affection for the game despite the surrounding changes. Likewise, he emphasized tennis’ individualism by saying, “It’s an individual sport; you are around your team.”

But did you know that Stan Wawrinka had a strong desire to leave the court? The Swiss tennis player disclosed that his withdrawal from the Rome Masters was not because of an ailment. Yet, it was because of a lack of motivation to play the game.

Stan Wawrinka had no desire to play tennis

Before the French Open this year, Stan Wawrinka had only won three of his nine tournament matches. Before that, he previously admitted to going through serious emotional distress. At his pre-tournament press conference in front of the Clay Major, Wawrinka spoke in French and stated, “It affected me because I had had a series of bad defeats. It stopped me wanting to push myself.”

He added, “I still have the desire but, obviously, I am going to have to start winning matches. If the results don’t come, I will have to ask myself some questions but I am really positive because my level of play can be really good. It is up to me to find the answers.”

Even champions can struggle with burnout. They then begin to doubt their devotion after years on the road, as the Swiss player’s candid admission of feeling cut off from the game demonstrates. However, what are your thoughts on Wawrinka handling a fan over his retirement? Do let us know in the comment section below.