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ROLAND GARROS

May 22, 2016

Stan Wawrinka

Paris, France

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. One year after your victory here, do you think something has changed? New youngsters? What is your point of view of this year's addition?
STAN WAWRINKA: It's for sure a few different things. The fact that Roger is not playing, it's not the best news for him and for the tennis. First time since many, many years.

No, I think the rest, it's going to be interesting French Open, for sure. There is many, many good players in form. Novak is the favorite, for sure. But I think it's going to be interesting to see what's going to happen with the other players.

Q. Can you tell us more about Novak? Last year no one expected you to win, but you did it. Now you had a bit different preparation for this year's Roland Garros. You played Geneva.
STAN WAWRINKA: I also played last year.

Q. But you won it now, so...
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah.

Q. So you go all the way. Can you tell us something about your expectation regarding Novak matches and everything this season.
STAN WAWRINKA: If we talk about Novak, he's still playing amazing tennis, if you look what happened this year already, and since last year in the final. He's for sure the big favorite, and he's going to be really difficult to beat. That's a fact.

About myself, yeah, last year I also played Geneva. I lost in quarter, but I start also Sunday here, so it was a little bit difference but not that much.

I'm happy to have won yesterday. It was important tournament for me. Took some big confidence by winning the trophy there and arriving here. For sure it's late arriving for a Grand Slam, especially if you want to go far in a Grand Slam, but I think I'm feeling good. I'm feeling fit. My tennis is there, and I'm ready to play my first match tomorrow.

Q. Do you prefer now this setup that you come here quite late and you're not really thinking about the French Open that much in advance?
STAN WAWRINKA: I cannot say I prefer. It's also quite good to arrive here a few days before to practice on the court and to get ready and everything.

But since they put that tournament in Switzerland in Geneva close from my home the week before, I took the decision to play and to change a little bit the rest of the schedule, and last year it happened to be really good for me. Also for sure the fact that I arrive only yesterday night, so I don't have my head already on the French Open too early, so that's a little bit different. That's it.

But I'm happy with my schedule so far. Hopefully this year it's going to be a good French Open.

Q. There are lots of players who won junior Grand Slam titles but not many players who could repeat that on the professional level. You are one of a few who could do that. What makes Roland Garros so special in that regard for you and why you could succeed while others failed?
STAN WAWRINKA: For me it's already been a special French Open because it's close for my home, the tournament that always watch hours and hours on TV when I was young at home after school every afternoon.

So it's the only junior tournament I played, I won it here, so for sure it was a lot of things that's different than other Grand Slam.

And, yeah, that's it.

Q. You played Rosol recently and now you're playing him again in the first round. What can you tell us about that matchup?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, we played three sets a few days ago in Geneva. I played him also this year in Australian Open. He's a dangerous player. He's serving big. He's going for his shots. You never know what to expect, really. You need to be really solid and stay there.

It really depends. It's all going to be how I'm going to feel tomorrow how I'm going to play and if I play well enough to beat him.

Q. It seems like the crowd loves you here. How do you feel on the topic that athletes today are forced to distance themselves more from the crowd compared to the 1980s, that the crowds are not acquainted with the person behind the player in the same way as back then? Do you feel comfortable here to share Wawrinka the person here?
STAN WAWRINKA: I didn't really understand the question. Sorry.

Q. It seems like, like Djokovic talked about the other day, that it seems like tennis, there is more and more at stake with time goes on. It seems like it has an effect on the players, that they are more serious and distance themself more from the crowd. It's an important balance, as he talked about. How do you feel about that?
STAN WAWRINKA: I don't know. Since I'm playing professional tennis I think the crowd is the same behind the player. In general I always try to give as much as possible to the fan. It's important to give them back something when you travel, when you see them a lot. I had amazing week in Switzerland last week, so was good to see all the Swiss fans. Yeah, that's it.

Q. I was wondering, have you rewatched the final from last year against Novak? If so, like what would you take from that final to try and give you a boost for this one?
STAN WAWRINKA: I watched some highlights. I never watched it completely. For sure I watched some highlights in one year. That's always some good memories to take.

But I'm not going to take anything for this year. It was one year ago. It's a completely different story. It was a final. Now I know how it is. It's a new Grand Slam, new tournament, new player to play. You need to start from the beginning.

So far I think I'm playing good tennis. It was good to win the trophy yesterday. It give me a lot of confidence and happiness. I'm excited to start tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. You have just won a new title on clay. Now, what about winning again on clay and at home? What would you say about this?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, this is something that was important for me. It's always been a dream for me to have a trophy in Switzerland. Given all that I lived in Switzerland, the Davis Cup, the Olympics for Switzerland and all the tournaments I played. And then Geneva, you know, it's really close to home. Yesterday was an amazing final. I'm very satisfied. With all these things that I have had during the whole week, and I'm very happy to be back in Paris.

Q. There was this win during the Australian Open, but what about this win a year ago at the French Open, Roland Garros? Now, how did this change your life? Was that something special? What about this year? How did you spend the year? How did this change your life?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, I'd say that it didn't really completely change my life after Roland Garros, but after the first Grand Slam, many things changed. And the second Grand Slam here in Paris, I think is something that people talked about but in a good way. It showed me what I was able to do. It was something bigger, bigger than the things I have done before in my career.

I thought I enjoyed it more, because each moment during two weeks I was living the very moment. I was looking around at what was happening. I really enjoyed it. It was the greatest moment of all in my career.

Q. Have you ever arrived so late for a Grand Slam? How will you manage this? It's going to be your first match tomorrow. What are you going to do to be ready?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, it's the first time I have arrived so late, that's for sure. Now, I hope it's not going to bother me for tomorrow, but I arrived yesterday evening. I prepared with my fitness trainer and I practiced a little. I'll eat and I'll have my coach with me. The good thing is that I just wanted to practice but not too long, because I played quite a lot recently.

My confidence is up, and to have a good match tomorrow, I hope I'll be able to win the match to get started and to get the real pace of a Grand Slam.

Q. What about your confidence for this Roland Garros? You won last year. Would you say that this had an impact on this year's confidence?
STAN WAWRINKA: I'm confident enough. I know I can do something here, that's for sure. And apart from that, well, you know what really matters is my first match. It's always the same. You know, it's always the answers you don't like, but it's each match that you have to win. I can go deep. I know that. But I'll have to try to keep my focus to get started.

Q. Well, you're back. You're back, back to Paris. Is there a place that you visited? Is there something that was very important for you last year after your win?
STAN WAWRINKA: No. I didn't have time to visit anything. Not for the time being. As I said, I arrived yesterday. I decided to practice and hit a few points. I didn't want to spend too much energy before my first match, because my objective, you see, is to stay there more than two days. So I'll focus very much on that.

Q. You were talking about how you are with the crowd. You are on Snapchat. It's been the case for two months. Why did you want to do this? What are the benefits? What are you going to do with this during these two weeks?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, I was there on Snapchat for private reasons because I think it's a good way to communicate with your fans. It's so easy. You can give a lot without saying too much either about yourself, and that's what I'll try. We'll see, if they are happy, I'll continue.

But, you know, I had my filter immediately for Snapchat. I'm very happy.

Q. Would you say you're one of the favorites or you're perhaps a bit behind the others? You see who I mean?
STAN WAWRINKA: Who do you mean?

Q. Nadal. Well, the big three who won the last Masters 1000. Would you say you're one of the main favorites or is it not the case?
STAN WAWRINKA: When I look at myself, I say, no, I'm not at the same level but who knows? Present, I'd say that Novak is the main favorite. It was the case last year, as well. I think to beat him, it's going to be very difficult, and then there is Murray and Nadal on an equal footing, and then I'm just after them. Just after.

But it all depends. I'll see what I can do during the first week, but I'll try. I know what can happen, you know, so I'll have to do my best so that I'm still here in a few days from now.

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