Wawrinka, passion intact: "I'm the oldest player, but I'm still a child in the head".
Stan Wawrinka made a successful debut at the 2024 French Open on Sunday. He dominated Andy Murray in 2 hours, 18 minutes and 3 sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-2) in the evening session on Court Philippe Chatrier. He may be the oldest player in the draw (39), but the Swiss isn't thinking of calling time on his career just yet. This is what he explained to Alex Corretja (finalist in 1998 and 2001) after his match. At the same time, he revealed the secrets of his famous one-handed backhand.
Wawrinka: "Why do I keep playing? It's to be here (on Court Philippe Chatrier), in front of so many fans, with so much support. That's what gives me the courage to keep going. I'm passionate about this sport. I think I'm the oldest player in the tournament draw, but in my head I'm still a kid. So I try to enjoy it as much as possible. As long as I can experience moments like this, I just want to keep going. [...]
The secret of my backhand? The first secret is hard work, practice. And there's no other secret. It's hours and hours on the court. For me, there are no secrets apart from hard work. I'm lucky enough to love it, to be passionate about what I do, to get out on the court, to train with my team who are always pushing me. It's always a pleasure. And for the backhand, it's as simple as this: you put the racket behind, you put the (right) leg in front, you hit along the line and if you're lucky it's a winner."
French Open 
