Stan Wawrinka responds as tennis icon, 40, brutally told to retire | Tennis | Sport
Stan Wawrinka has told his followers on social media that he will continue to push his limits on the tennis court, despite the fact his world ranking has plummeted. The 40-year-old has only progressed beyond the second round at two Grand Slams in the last five years and is now ranked at No. 158 in the world.
Wawrinka appeared at his maiden Grand Slam in 2005 as he reached the third round at the French Open. He tasted his first title success at a Major in 2014 when he won the Australian Open before climbing to a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world. The veteran then landed the French Open title in 2015, before winning the US Open in 2016.
Wawrinka has won just two matches on the ATP Tour this year as he has struggled to match some of his younger rivals on the court.
The Swiss star was knocked out of the Australian Open by Lorenzo Sonego in the first round at the start of the year, before exiting the French Open at the same stage following a defeat to Briton Jacob Fearnley.
And he didn’t feature at the final two Grand Slams of the year, although he has enjoyed plenty of success on the Challenger Tour.
Wawrinka has been told be some people that he should retire from tennis. And he called out those who believe players “should stop” when their level diminishes in a post on Instagram.
“When I started playing tennis at eight years old, it was just a game,” he began. “Then it became my passion. My dream was to one day become a professional tennis player.
“I know that as an athlete, people like to think they know when it’s time for you to stop. People believe that when you get older, when you don’t play at the same level, don’t have the same ranking or same result, you should stop.
“As much as I’m a competitor, as much as I love to win, it’s not always about that. Passion is not always about the result – it’s about pushing your limits.
“I’m okay not to win a Grand Slam anymore. I’m okay with not being top 10 anymore. But I love the process of always pushing my limits.
“I known the end of my career will come one day, but until then I will always give my best fight.”
And he added: “To all my fans around the world who support me, to the fans in Basel this week, thank you. It means the world to me. That’s why I keep pushing myself.”
