Stan Wawrinka threw some light on his tearful post-match runner-up speech in the Umag final last month, saying emotions overwhelmed him after coming so close to fulfilling his ultimate goal.
Wawrinka was speaking at the Tennis Channel desk following his first-round win over Brandon Nakashima at the Cincinnati Masters. The Swiss veteran was finally able to put into words the emotions of events in the Croatia Open final, saying he cared deeply for his career, and it was only natural that sometimes you get nervous or cry in the moment.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has restored some stability in his ranking and results after battling multiple knee surgeries in recent years. He was written off at this stage last year when he was outside the world's Top 300, and he's surprised himself to make such a jaw-dropping climb to the world's Top 50 in the live rankings this week.
Wawrinka questioned if he'll ever come back during his spell in the treatment room, but he never lost faith in his ability to fight through adversity - which pretty much defined his status as one of the best late-bloomers in tennis. He admits that he lived to trust the process and maintains that his overall goal now is to win one more ATP title before retirement.
"Step by step, trust the process. Of course, I want to be higher in the rankings and win tournaments, and go far in tournaments. But when you come back while so old at 38, playing tennis kids who are 20 years old, top five in the world, is not easy."
"It’s because I care so much (on tearful Umag speech). That’s also why sometimes you get nervous, why you cry after losing a final. If I have one goal, it’s to win one more trophy before I retire. Of course, it means a lot to be in that final. I was that close. But after, everything is fine and still going in the right direction, playing much better."
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