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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 8, 2019

Stan Wawrinka

Indian Wells, California

S. WAWRINKA/D. Evans

6-7, 6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is it about Dan's game? You guys have had good matches in the past. What's it about his game? Tricky?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, he's for sure a great player. Also, again, this year he's playing -- he played already a lot of match, a lot of confidence. He won a lot of matches.

He's always a tough player to play, for sure. You can see against other players. He always make it difficult. I think he's mixing a lot, especially on conditions like today when it's windy like that. With his slice, he feel the ball really well. He's mixing his game, serve and volley, sometimes coming, sometimes not, passing well.

Yeah, it's always difficult to play against him.

Q. How does it feel to be back on these courts? Of course, two years ago you had the nice run here. What's comfortable for you here on these courts?
STAN WAWRINKA: I like the tournament, like every player.

I think in general the conditions are good for my game. Hard court, quite slow, I would say. You can really play your game.

I think for me this year it's for sure special because I'm happy to be back. I didn't play last year. I'm happy to feel that well. I think in general I'm practicing and moving and playing and everything, doing really well.

So happy to get through a match like today, and also to have a chance in two days.

Q. Do you feel like you've kept that confidence you got at Rotterdam?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think in Rotterdam it helped me a lot to put away a little bit of pressure of knowing that you play well but not winning too many matches.

So for me it was great to make the final there, to win those matches against the top players. Now, again, I keep improving, I think I keep playing well. Every tournament is a new tournament. You need to start from the beginning. Today it was a tough match against a tough player in tough conditions.

Again, it was important to win that one, not play necessarily your best tennis because of the first one, because of the conditions, but to fight really well mentally to stay there.

Q. What did you make of the board decision not to extend Chris Kermode's contract?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, I think, yeah, I'm really, really sad and disappointed about that. If you look what Chris achieved for the tennis, for every player, for every fans, for everyone around the tennis, it's been amazing.

So it was really sad news yesterday morning.

Q. Do you think the votes of the players' representatives reflect the feelings of the players on the tour?
STAN WAWRINKA: It's tough to say. I think you should ask every single player what they think about it and then really take note who wanted him out and who didn't want him out.

For sure we talk with few player. For sure I know a few players don't like this decision, but I don't know about every player. So I cannot really talk for every player.

Q. Have you received any explanation from the players who were against renewing him as to why?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, that's, I would say, the funny part. I also read what player representatives said right now. It's not like there is another option yet, or at least I don't know.

So I would say it's surprising and strange. So I would like to know exactly what they think about after, because that's the most important thing. When you change someone from that spot, from that place, who's doing so well since few years, you need to have other option, or at least give something.

Q. Do you have any sense of the issues that people had against him?
STAN WAWRINKA: Not really. I think it's also -- again, I'm not in the council, I'm not in the board, so I don't know everything. I don't know everything that's happening. I just know from the players' side from what I know.

Yeah. So, for me, I think it's not the right decision to make, but again, I'm not in the council, so I cannot talk because they know more things than I do.

Q. If I have it right, I think Rafa Nadal and others were with Kermode and yet he was voted out. Similarly, in the politics of the Davis Cup, so many of the French players, for instance, were against the change in Davis Cup, yet the French Federation voted for the change. Do you think there are some problems in governance and the politics of tennis?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think, yeah, for sure, there is some problem in general in politic, in tennis, in governance in the board, in everything. There is a lot of things happening that I don't think they are right. But in the same times, we have a council with players that are doing a lot of work, a lot of time for it, and they take the decision.

So if you want to change that, you need to be on the council. I'm not in the council, so I cannot really talk too much about it, because I'm not spending the hours and the times that they are doing. I also know that there is some people in the board that shouldn't be in the board.

Q. Could you just expand on that a little bit?
STAN WAWRINKA: Can we talk about something else? I think I've been giving you enough already (smiling), so please don't put me too much.

I'm okay to always talk about what I feel, what I think. I'm not saying I'm right. I'm just saying that's only my opinion. I don't care what's gonna come out for it because, at the end of the day, it's just what I feel.

But I'm not here to talk only about that.

Q. Today's match you faced a one-handed backhander like a few of them now exist. When you face an opponent like that, do you feel you have to change something?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, not really. You adapt to the player you're playing, no matter if he has one-handed, two-handed. Then there is a player who play a lot of slice, more than almost any player on the tour. You have to adapt your game for that, that's for sure.

Q. Seems like for years the one-handed backhand has been -- the obituary has been written but now it's stronger than ever: Tsitsipas, Shapovalov. What do you think about the future? Would you recommend kids learn it?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think in the past there has always been a few players at the top of the game with one-hand backhand, and that didn't really change in the past 10 years. I think in general you will always have a player with one-handed backhand. I love to watch. I think it's always nice. It looks most of the time really clean. You can make more shots from it.

But, yeah, I think it's a tough decision if you're gonna give kids one-hand or two-handed backhand.

Q. Are you for it or against it for kids?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think you need to see how the kids is playing. You need to try and see.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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