ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2022

Stan Wawrinka

Press Conference

C. MOUTET/S. Wawrinka

2-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. What happened after the first set?

STAN WAWRINKA: Yes, the first set was good, obviously it's a great disappointment to lose in a Grand Slam, but it's the reality of my life now. I knew before the match that I needed to work a lot to work physically, to work my tennis. It's not I'm playing badly or I'm not good, but I'm not yet feeling good for matches like that.

But as I said, this is exactly, this is the mirror of where I am now. You have to go through times like this with bad matches, with bad first rounds in a Grand Slam because I need to play a few matches to renew with the feelings you look for in a match.

Q. Rome and here, are these moments that can help you get back, are these moments that give you back the fire and the desire to advance?

STAN WAWRINKA: Yes, I can feel things are getting back into place, but obviously at this time I'm disappointed to have lost. I always want to do better, I know I could have done better, but it wasn't the case.

I'm aware, as I renewed with training and at the end of March or end of February, beginning of March, I knew it would take time to get back into the competition and to renew with the level where I feel good, I get on court and I'm okay, I'm fit and I'm ready to play a good match.

Q. Do you feel you are a hundred percent okay physically?

STAN WAWRINKA: Yes, I am okay, but I'm not as fit as I would like to be. As far as tennis is concerned, I'm not back to the level I wanted, I have to take weeks of physical preparation and do some training matches. I'm getting close. A few weeks and I should be there.

Q. For social networks it can be extremely violent on social networks at times like this. How do you manage this?

STAN WAWRINKA: I'm not moved by the negative messages on social media, I just don't look at them. If I'm on a social network I'll take the positive messages. I get a lot of support, a lot of positive messages from my fans, I'm lucky to have fans. It's difficult to read bad messages, but it doesn't really move me.

Q. There was a time when you even published them on your network.

STAN WAWRINKA: Yes, insults, yes. Not because it moves me, but to highlight the fact that that person or these persons are writing actual insults. But apart from that it doesn't move me.

Q. But in a match like this, some people don't know tennis and they bet on the matches and they don't understand that a former winner could lose a match like that, it can be very violent.

STAN WAWRINKA: Yes, I know it can be very violent for many, for a lot of people in the world, because there can be a lot of violence everywhere in the world, but it doesn't get to me, I must say.

Q. How do you explain what happened after the first set? Is it due to the fact that you're playing best of five again?

STAN WAWRINKA: Yes, I played well in the first set, but he wasn't into the match yet. The beginning of the second set he got into it a bit better, I started hesitating and you know things swing very fast really, especially when you're looking for confidence in yourself, in your game. As soon as you are heading in the wrong direction the head it goes very fast.

Q. There was a moment when you shouted twice because you missed a forehand and from the press stand we couldn't see whether you hit the tarp or whatever. How frustrating can it be to not succeed in what you used to succeed in before?

STAN WAWRINKA: Well, the frustration doesn't come from the fact that I'm not doing what I used to do, I never think, Well, I used to put these balls in, I used to do this, I used to do that. I'm right in the moment, in the momentum of the moment. I just get frustrated because I know I could do better and that things are not going well because my head is thinking too much, physically I'm hesitating a bit, and as I was saying, once you lose the little trust you have in yourself on a day like this, you very quickly head in the wrong direction. So I was upset because of today, not because of what I could have done before.

Q. (No translation.)

STAN WAWRINKA: Well, no, I was hoping to win the match, I was hoping to get into it and this is why I feel frustrated, because I knew I could have won. I haven't been defeatist, really, it's just I know I could have won a match like that of today and I know that as far as I'm able to do it I should have done better.

Q. A few words about Moutet, can you tell us what bothered you and what about Wimbledon, are you going to go there and what about the points that it will not be given?

STAN WAWRINKA: Well, Moutet fought very well, he played his game. As you said, his game is difficult to play because he has a lot of talent, he's left-handed, he mixes his shots a lot. It's beautiful to see for the fans, but it's very complicated to return. He played his game today and he did well.

And as far as Wimbledon is concerned, I don't know yet.

Q. You talked about becoming more nervous with age. In this particular context of Roland Garros, which is a tournament you like, is there a kind of stage fright coming back to a place you like?

STAN WAWRINKA: No, not here at Roland Garros or the reverse, because I felt better coming in here than in Monaco. To me, my nervousness does not come from the place where I am, but from where I stand, my lack of confidence and throughout my career it has taken me time to put all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together. At my age when you're out of the tour for over a year, you take time to get back to the level you want. I know what I want, I know and I'm convinced that I can renew with a very good level because I have many clues that show that I can do it. But it will take months. But I'm not afraid, it's not a problem for me to train hard.

Q. What is your plan for the coming weeks and months, where are you going to play?

STAN WAWRINKA: My plan, I have Queen's and Wimbledon, but I'll have to review my plan, which is decided with my team, that we look it up after I finished Roland Garros, because now I see I have more time ahead of me, so I have to work intensely at my physical fitness. So I'm going to talk about it with my team in the coming days.