Stan Wawrinka shared words of thanks for his longtime colleague Andy Murray at the 2023 Italian Open after the Briton’s recent victory at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger.
Stan Wawrinka is in the way of Renaissance on tour. He recently re-entered the top 100 and is currently ranked 84th in the world. Heading into the Italian Open this week, Wawrinka booked his place in the second round after a convincing 6-2, 6-4 win over Ilya Ivashka of Belarus. The Swiss is now set to meet former world No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in the second round.
After his victory in the first round of the Masters 1000 event, the 38-year-old sat down for a chat with Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj. He spoke about Andy Murray, who has again made his mark on tour after injuries and form issues.
Stan Wawrinka revealed that the fellow three-time Grand Slam champion, who is three years his junior, has been a source of inspiration throughout his illustrious career and that it was “special” to watch him play.
“I think he’s always been an incredible player to watch and be inspired by, not just now after all the injuries he had and the comeback and his age, but throughout his career,” the Swiss said.
“He came in very early. He’s younger than me, but he came in before me. He was at the top, so it’s always been special to watch him play and see what he was doing,” Wawrinka added.
‘He’ll still play, no question’ – Former player Jason Goodall on Andy Murray
andy murray shocked of the ongoing Italian Open in the first round against local favorite Fabio Fognini with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 loss. Nonetheless, the former World No. 1 has gifted tennis fans with some unforgettable moments this year since the Australian Open.
He is currently ranked No. 42 in the world in the highest five-year ranking after his recent title win against world No. 17 Tommy Paul at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger in France. The Briton also previously featured in the Qatar Open final, where he lifted the runner-up trophy against Daniil Medvedev.
Former player, coach and broadcaster Jason Goodall recently speak on Murray’s laudable rise from the Ashes, stating that he hopes the future 36-year-old will have a longer career than initially anticipated.
“If you go back a year or so, that was perhaps the goal: to get fit and enjoy a very good race at the [Wimbledon] Championships and get a proper sendoff,” Goodall said on the Celebrating court with the Patrick McEnroe podcast.
“But his rank is 42nd in the world now, he’s headed in the right direction. He’s getting close to being a major seed again and you know what a contender he is,” he added. “He’s doing well. I think if he stays healthy and is playing as well as he is now, he’ll keep playing, no question about it.”
