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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2019

Stan Wawrinka

Wimbledon, London, England

S. WAWRINKA/R. Bemelmans

6-3, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is this the best you felt coming into Wimbledon for a few years?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, I think I did a great preparation. I'm happy the way I've been practicing so far here, I've been playing. Really happy the way I've been feeling physically.

Today was a great match, a great start. Three sets, so it's good to start like that.

Q. As you know, the rules have changed for this year with the tiebreaker. What are your thoughts about that, the fact we'll never see a 70-68 fifth set again?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think if we look this year, the four Grand Slam have a different rule. I don't have any rule that I prefer. I think it's good to see they choose to do something different, all four Grand Slam.

Yeah, I think it's their decision. It's going to be interesting to see the first match to arrive at that score. But for me, I don't mind really.

Q. Why do you think it's good they've come to these different decisions?
STAN WAWRINKA: Because it was already not one rule for the four Grand Slams. So might as well do all something different, try something else.

As I say, I don't really mind how is it. Yeah, I don't mind.

Q. Given the comparisons to hard courts, how far do you think we've come in Wimbledon being a returner's tournament against a server's?
STAN WAWRINKA: It's tough to compare. For sure, the conditions are not as fast as long time ago. Now you can see the way we've been playing on the grass.

But it's still a different game, the way you have to move, the way you have to play. The bounce that you get, even if it's not faster, it's slower. There's a lot of different things you have to adapt.

Q. Pretty stunning things happening in the ATP.
STAN WAWRINKA: Quite messy, no (smiling)?

Q. Feliciano said things were a mess, falling apart. Share some of your thoughts, please.
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, for sure we've been seeing that since the beginning of the year. It's happening, a lot of stuff behind the court, outside the court, in the politic way.

The people who's dealing with what's happening on the ATP Tour, recently has been really messy with people leaving the council, all those things happening.

Now I think you need to wait a little bit to see what they really want, the people who is trying to make those change, because so far they only talk about making some change because something is wrong. They didn't say what they want to do to improve or what they want to do to make it better.

There's a lot of stuff just happen this week also that I don't personally have all those information about all the meetings they had. I'm going to wait a little bit to know everything what happened and the reason of all those people leaving the council to really make my comment.

Q. Is it the prize money issue? How the ATP is run?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think you need to ask the people who's making those decision right now to change the sport, to change the tennis. That's only them who can answer what really they think they can do better and how they going to do it.

Q. On the players council, as somebody who is not a member, do you think there should be more transparency from the council?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, as I say, I think it's been last few months going in every direction. A lot of people are pulling out from the council. A lot of other people are getting fired.

It's going to be interesting, hopefully in a positive way, but I doubt. We'll see what is going to happen in the next few months.

Q. What are your thoughts on the achievement of Novak, Roger, and Rafa since you won your last major in that they've taken the last 10?
STAN WAWRINKA: For me, it's been 15 years that they dominating, they are here at the top of the sport. What I think is the same as everybody: they are basically the best player right now, but also they are the three best player in the history of the tennis, playing in the same time together. That's mean they didn't leave so much for the other player to take.

This is just amazing to see all the record that they making and keep making. That show how much better they are than everybody else.

Q. What do you think that has meant for the sport?
STAN WAWRINKA: What do I think what?

Q. It has meant for the sport to have those three guys playing so well at the same time for so long.
STAN WAWRINKA: I think it's amazing. It's amazing to watch. For me, even as a tennis player, it's always amazing to see what they keep achieving and what they keep doing by being at the top of our sport.

Q. A more technical question, the specifics of playing on the grass. What do you and your team work to change your mindset as soon as you get on the grass? To be more specific, what are the things you change on your mind and game for grass?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think it's more adaptation. You need to make quicker decision on the grass. You need to play not more risky, but you cannot just take your time like I can do on the clay court, really put my shot there, make some long rallies.

You know that the match going to be play even in few points, few quick points. You need to accept and get through the frustration of going a little bit against my style or the way I want to play.

That's the little things we are doing. There is some small exercise for the technique, for the games that you play more on the grass court.

But at the end of the day, it's not a lot of big change technique-wise. It's just about the way or the shot selection you taking on the grass court.

Q. Over a tennis career there are decisions and choices. If you had to step back and say what really was the one or two best decisions you've made in your career, what would that be?
STAN WAWRINKA: It's tough to find one or two really big decision for me.

It's always been about long-term since the beginning of my young age. It's not about decision. I think I got lucky to work with my fitness coach, Pierre Paganini, since I was young, and to be with him since that, to accept and talk about the way we wanted to work.

I always have the mindset of a long-term career, not taking short-term decision, always going for what's the right decision for your game, for your fitness, for your tennis in the long-term. I never go for the short-term decision.

That's for me the most important and the reason why I'm still playing and still happy to be here and achieve what I've done in my career.

Q. Your record at Wimbledon is obviously not as impressive as your record at the other three slams. When you walk out on court at Wimbledon, do you actually believe you can beat anybody on grass or a different mentality? Is that a tougher process for you?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, I think for sure some tough years here by losing first or second round. I had two good years by making quarterfinals. I do believe that this year I'm playing well, I playing the best I never played on grass court. For sure I am having a tough next match.

Every match is difficult. I can go out the next round. But I believe if I enter the court, I can beat anybody.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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