After being out of action for more than a year, Stan Wawrinka made his comeback at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost to Alexander Bublik in the first round.
Just like any ambitious athlete, a lengthy injury layoff can send shivers and doubts about their long-term future in the sport. Wawrinka, who is not getting younger, started to question if he would ever return to playing competitive tennis after a turbulent 2021 season.
He played just six matches last year and was not to be seen on the court again after losing to Lloyd Harris in the first round of the Qatar Open in early March. Wawrinka sustained a foot injury that same month and was operated on, only to return to the hospital for a second surgery three months later.
That meant he spent the next six months on the treatment table before making his long-awaited return at the Marbella Challenger this season at the end of March in a losing effort to Elias Ymer.
Since then, he has played in Monte Carlo, where he ran Bublik close. However, his lack of game time proved crucial, as he fell in three sets. However, he was excited to put his injury nightmare behind him and wanted to enjoy the sport again.
"I'm super happy to be back. I think by the end of the year, I will know what I want to try to achieve before ending my career. Winning tournament is a special feeling in tennis because all your career, most of the weeks you play, you end up losing a match."
"Even if you go to the final, semi-final, and you are happy with the tournament, you need to accept that losing is part of the process. So it's always special to finish the week by winning a trophy."
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