Stan Wawrinka opens up about 'tough moments' while out injured, loses to Steve Johnson on return in Rome

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  • Stan Wawrinka admits there were times he was not sure if he’d be “strong enough” to find his way back during his lengthy break from tennis due to knee surgery he underwent last August.

    The Swiss former world No. 3 spent six months on the sidelines from Wimbledon last year until January. He came back to action at the Australian Open but played just seven matches in four tournaments before stopping again in February.

    The three-time Grand Slam champion finally made his return on Sunday, nearly three months later, losing 6-4, 6-4 to American Steve Johnson in the Rome Masters first round.

    “It was really tough, some tough moments, especially seven months after surgery you still have pain, you still have things you cannot do, you question yourself a lot,” confessed Wawrinka when addressing reporters in the Italian capital on Sunday.

    “I had some days I wasn’t sure I would be strong enough to keep working and to keep trying. But I had the chance to have a great team around me and that really helped me to get through those tough days that you need to keep going through fitness, training with the pain, and keep pushing.

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  • “Trying to put all the negative stuff outside, see the line and keep being patient. It’s completely different now, where I am mentally because since two weeks I could practice full, almost without any pain.

    “So it’s enjoyable to see that and now I can finally really talk about tennis, focus about my game, trying to improve, trying to find my game and that’s really good after so long.”

    Wawrinka dedicated the majority of the past three months to working on his fitness, and says he only started practicing tennis full on 12 days ago.

    He reunited with his former coach Magnus Norman, who had parted ways with him in October last year, and Wawrinka is hopeful they will continue to work together until the end of the season.

    “We will see,” Wawrinka said when asked whether his reunion with Norman is a long-term arrangement.

    “He came to Switzerland when I started practicing full in tennis, only two weeks ago, to help the team and since then we’re still seeing how it’s going to happen. But for sure he’s going to keep working with me hopefully the full year.”

    In retrospect, returning at the Australian Open seemed premature for Wawrinka but he explained that it was necessary to test himself in matches to see how his knee would react.

    He is disappointed by his defeat to Johnson, but is pleased with his level.

    Wawrinka has a lot of points to defend this upcoming stretch, having won Geneva last year and reached the final of the French Open. But he’s trying not to put too much pressure on himself in his comeback and knows that patience will be key for him.

    “I need to really be patient and accept a loss like today even if I’m frustrated and I feel like I could have won the match today,” said the 33-year-old.

    “I have to be patient with what’s going to happen the next few months. But at the same time I’m pushing myself to get some wins, get some matches, and try to play as many tournaments as I can because I’ve been practicing enough for the last few months.

    “Now I just want to play matches, get my rhythm, get ready mentally on those important points and I know that it can turn quickly. So I’m focusing on trying to do that.”

    He added: “Honestly if I look at my level in practice, physically and also tennis, I think I’m close to my top level. Still I have a lot of work to do, I still need a lot of time to play matches, keep trying to play week after week to find the confidence back because it can take time. We can see with other players coming back from long and tough injuries, it’s never easy.

    “It’s not only about physical or tennis, but also mentally to find confidence. I need to patient. But I’m positive because my level is really high.”

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