Stan Wawrinka reveals plans to make Slam return at Roland Garros
Stan Wawrinka plans to return to competition in time for this year’s Roland Garros after over a year away from the sport.
The three-time Slam champion revealed that he aims to return to the ATP tour this April on the clay of Europe before making his 17th career Roland Garros appearance in May.
Wawrinka has not played since the Qatar Open in March of last year, having undergone surgery for a left foot injury at the end of that month.
His most recent Major appearance came at the 2021 Australian Open, defeating Pedro Sousa in the first round there before going out to Marton Fucsovics in five sets in the second round.
“Yes, I’ll play Roland Garros, yes,” Wawrinka said at the promotion of a film he is associate producing, according to Le Parisien.
After making 16 consecutive appearances at Roland garros from 2005 to 2020, the 36-year-old Swiss missed the clay Slam for the first time last year.
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Of course, the Paris Major saw one of Wawrinka’s greatest triumphs back in 2015 as the site of his second of three Slam titles to date.
Novak Djokovic had won the Australian Open that year ahead of Roland Garros, and after defeating five-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, had his eyes set on a first crown in Paris.
But Wawrinka was too strong in the final as he ousted the world number one in four sets.
After Djokovic went on to win Wimbledon and the US Open that year, Wawrinka could boast the status of being the only man to defeat the Serb at Slam level in 2015.
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