Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka has been facing physical adversities since March 2021. After undergoing foot surgery last year, he had to sit out for a long time before making his ATP tour return.

In March, he made his much-awaited comeback on the tour at Marbella Challenger. Unfortunately, he lost that match in straight sets. His winless streak continued at the Monte Carlo Masters as well. However, it all changed at the Italian Open as he beat the American Reilly Opelka in a three-set encounter in the opening round.

After the match, the Swiss star sent an emotional message to his fans for supporting him through a tough period. 

Stan Wawrinka thanked his fans after beating Reilly Opelka at the Italian Open

In a series of Instagram stories, Wawrinka talked about how the love of his fans and the supporters helped him to get through an extremely difficult time. 

“[The love from the supporters] Helps a lot. It’s the main reason why I’m still playing and why I came back after a year out. It’s because of the fans, because of the emotion that you can get on the court playing matches here in Rome.”

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Also, he posted a few videos of his amazing shots against Opelka. Notably, this was Wawrinka’s first victory in 455 days. His last win came at the Australian Open 2021, where he beat Pedro Sousa in the first round.

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Initially, the Swiss player didn’t get off to a great start and lost the first set. While another defeat looked imminent for the multi-slam champion, Wawrinka used his experience to pull through the second set and won it, 7-5.

In the deciding third set, we saw vintage Wawrinka, where he hit some unbelievable backhands to get the win against the big American. After two hours and five minutes, the Swiss player notched up a memorable victory in Rome. 

Wawrinka could face Novak Djokovic if wins his next match

In the second round at the Italian Open, Wawrinka will face Laslo Djere of Serbia. The Serb defeated Borna Coric in a tough match to move to the next round. Interestingly, Wawrinka could face Novak Djokovic if he wins against Djere. However, Djokovic has to win his first match against Aslan Karatsev for that to happen. 

How far can Wawrinka go at the Italian Open? Let us know in the comments.

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