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ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2019

Stan Wawrinka

Paris, France

S. WAWRINKA/G. Dimitrov

7-6, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. We keep asking you about the Bullring, the Court 1, and how supportive the crowds are there for you. Did that have anything to do with your ability to kind of rally yourself in that tiebreak?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, for sure. Between last night and today, it was amazing atmosphere. I think when they move us there, I knew it will be packed, that's for sure. That's something really special, to play on a court like that with no free seats. It's completely packed. Great atmosphere. A lot of people cheering again today, and, yeah, I was really happy to see that kind of atmosphere, to play in front of that kind of crowd and that kind of support.

It helped me a lot to get a lot of energy, and I'm happy with the win today.

Q. That was a big win today against a top player. Did you prove anything to yourself today with your level of your performance?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think was another great match after the run against Garin. I think against Grigor was really tough battle. We both played well, I think. I'm happy to have won the three tiebreaks. Today I saved some set points. I serve for the match. I went a little bit down in the energy, start to move a little bit less.

But, yeah, it was important victory for me, and I'm happy with it.

Q. What have you made of the game of Stefanos Tsitsipas over the last year? I'm sure you have watched him a lot but you haven't played each other yet.
STAN WAWRINKA: He's amazing player, for sure. Improved a lot. Winning a lot of match. He beat already the top players. So, yeah, it's gonna be tough match, for sure. I think I never play him but practice a few times with him.

He's actually, when you play against him, he has a different ball than when you watch him play. When you watch him play, you think he's playing a little bit slower than what he's playing in real life.

He always look like he give himself a lot of time to play. He doesn't feel like under pressure. So playing the game well. Yeah, it's going to be an interesting match.

Q. Yeah, the first time you're meeting Tsitsipas, as you said. You're one of the greats of the last ten years; he's a rising star. What does he bring to tennis?
STAN WAWRINKA: He's a really young player, already at the top of the game, already winning a lot of matches, already beating the top players, making his way to even better career for a long time, for sure.

Yeah, I'm happy to play him tomorrow. I'm sure it's gonna be great match and happy to face this challenge.

Q. It seems like you're improving from round to round. You're stepping up your level. Your coach said he's convinced you can win another Grand Slam. So what about you? Do you think you can do it? Maybe you can do it here?
STAN WAWRINKA: I'm far away from thinking about that here (smiling). Do I think or believe I can do it? Maybe. Who knows? But to win a Grand Slam, it's a long way, a long road.

Yeah, I'm looking for doing my best in the next few years that I still have in my career. So far I'm happy with winning three matches here. I think I'm playing better, I think I'm playing well, and I'm looking forward to play tomorrow.

As I say, it's still a long way to think about that here. I think there is a big match tomorrow. It's going to be a tough one, and I'm looking forward for it.

Q. It was pretty crazy outside No. 1 court when they moved you and people booing the stewards because they couldn't get in and people were getting squashed because everyone was rushing there. Did you see any of the videos? What did you think of that?
STAN WAWRINKA: I heard the noise yesterday when we were playing for a long time, for sure. We heard a lot of noise on the Court 1. I think, yeah, it's always tough decision for the tournament, for the people, for the crowd, for the players.

For sure when they move you on a smaller court, some people will have to stay outside, and that's what happen yesterday. If I just look for myself, being on that court with full crowd, with amazing atmosphere, it was really crazy last night and again today. Was something really special.

Like I was saying, in the last ten years I didn't play any big match that I remember on the court, on this court, on Court 1, and in two days I played something really special that I will remember all my life.

Q. Have you had to change what you do in between games in terms of giving yourself a balance between letting your body recover and also practicing?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, right now I don't have much time for the next match. We both played in two days. He also had to play today again to finish his match. And now we have to be ready for tomorrow.

So not much. I'm doing my routine with what I have to do to be ready for tomorrow.

Q. The backhand you hit in the tiebreak. You have hit a lot of big backhands in your life. But the one from miles back behind, where does that rate for you?
STAN WAWRINKA: It's always my favorite, let's put it this way. This one was important one, important moment. Yeah, I'm happy I did it again today. For sure, it was important one, and a big one. So I'm happy with that shot.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. First time since your final here in Roland Garros to go so far in a Grand Slam. Where do you position yourself in terms of game level and feelings with respect to the player you were before your surgery? Do you feel close to that, or is it too early to say?
STAN WAWRINKA: I feel fine. It's been several weeks that tennistically and physically I feel I progress. I feel fine. I played at a high level. Today I'm happy to have won an additional match and to move forward and be in the round of 16.

Playing excellent tennis in Roland. If I look at my first three rounds, they were very solid, very good, and I hope that it will continue tomorrow against a very good player who is in confidence, who has beaten the best players, who has played three beautiful matches. It's going to be an interesting match.

Q. Is there a form of relief after what you have gone through? Is there a great satisfaction of being in the round of 16?
STAN WAWRINKA: Relief? No, because when I had regained the level I wanted to have physically, tennistically, the relief was already there.

Afterwards, the results arrive after a while. I'm happy to be in the round of 16, but it's not the aim of my tournaments when I enter. I'm not satisfied with this. I want to have more, and I hope to be able to do that tomorrow.

Q. You have won here, four tiebreaks. Do you feel different versus Geneva and before mentally?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yes, I feel better, especially with three beautiful victories like that. And the level is also better. Geneva I was not able to play a good match. But personally, I feel well. I have worked very hard to be in this position.

I saw that I could increase my tennis level in the right moments, in important moments. As I said, I want to continue, and I will try to do that tomorrow.

Q. You had very important moments in Rotterdam, for instance. Do you feel closer to your best level since?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yes, absolutely. It's very clear. I think I'm even -- I'm at my best level since my surgery. If I look at the past six months, I'm playing the best tennis right now. I never try to compare. I see that what I do is good enough to win matches, and I see that I'm able to have excellent matches, excellent practices, a great level, and I work a lot for that. I hope that I'll be able to do that tomorrow.

Q. We're happy to see you at that level of competition and admiring your backhand, beautiful. My question, are you ready physically for a fight of more than four hours tomorrow against a player much younger than you?
STAN WAWRINKA: We'll have the answer tomorrow.

Q. I'm talking about physically.
STAN WAWRINKA: I can't give you an answer. I know what I'm capable of. I'm capable of what I'm capable of doing. The first question is we don't know if we're going to play four hours. And the second answer, if I look at my side, I feel ready. I don't know why I couldn't play that long, and he will be able to do so, also. I hope it's going to be a tough match.

Q. We're talking about your surgery and your return. What were the main ingredients of the work since you have had your surgery? What were your feelings during these past 18 months of work to come to arrive at the second week of the Grand Slam?
STAN WAWRINKA: It's like the entire career. It's passion, working on the long term, not being too in a hurry, being patient, having a line of conduct, of working, and knowing that work will pay off.

As I said, I feel better. I hope that I will be able to continue the year as I started.

But again, for the time being, I have only won three matches here, and I'm not totally satisfied with that type of results. In my vision of the end of my career, I want more, and I hope I'll be able to continue.

Q. If I understood what you said, you will be one of the players regretting the disappearance of Court No. 1?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, I didn't say that (smiling).

Q. You said you lived unforgettable moments. What feelings with respect to this disappearance?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think that everything that the tournament has done, all the innovations, the new things, it's important for the future of the tournament and of tennis, they did beautiful things. It's clear when you change things in a tournament, you try to improve, you have to get rid of old things. It's part of the evolution of a tournament. When you see the new court they have built, it's beautiful.

So I think that Roland Garros is doing beautiful things.

Q. It was your 500th victory on the tour. Did you know that or not care about that?
STAN WAWRINKA: I knew I was close, but I didn't know it was today.

Q. Do you remember the first victory? Does it represent something?
STAN WAWRINKA: It testifies to what I have accomplished in my career. It's not something very important right now, but when you mention it, it represents everything I have done in my career, everything that I have won, the matches I have been able to win over the years. So it's something I had never imagined when I was young.

Q. And the first one?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think it was Amsterdam, Armando.

Q. You mentioned with respect to Tsitsipas, you said he played faster than what he looked like when you look at him. Can you explain that, please? Are you impressed by what he has accomplished by 20 years of age? Because it's not so common to be performing so fast on the circuit.
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, it's very impressive. He's top 10, excellent results over the last year. He has been very impressive to see his evolution. He's an incredible player, and he's been able to beat Roger in Grand Slam, Rafa on clay. And so he's present and it's going to be a very difficult match tomorrow.

But what I was saying with respect to the feeling I had when I practiced against him, his ball was heavier than what you can see on TV. Since I never played him in a match, that's what I base my assessments on with respect to the practices I had with him.

Q. Benoit Paire said that you said he was a monster physically. Why does he impress you physically?
STAN WAWRINKA: It was a joke. I was very happy for him. When I said he was a monster physically, it was a joke. It was a joke. Although he impresses me, indeed, because Benoit is playing on confidence. He's a sensitive player.

He needs to be well, and when he wins matches, he's relaxed, he's in confidence, he thinks less, he gets angry a bit less, and he lasts longer, I can say. He remains focused on his objective and he doesn't focus too much on his errors.

It's clear that I'm very happy for him. He won Lyon. Here he's playing very well. He played excellent matches, despite the fact that he was down two sets to zero and a break, he won the match.

So I hope he's going to continue, and I'm very happy about what he's doing.

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