Stan Wawrinka behaved exactly how the mascot kids want to be treated. The Swiss star displayed how adorable he can be despite the pressure of playing an ATP Masters 1000 event. The Olympic Gold winner witnessed disappointing exits from all the majors and even shed tears when he lost to Alexi Popyrin in the Croatian Open finals. Wawrinka made it clear that he won’t be around for long and is making the most of it while creating memories for himself and the people around him.

Stan played his first round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters earlier today. The 38-year-old won the hearts of the internet with an affectionate gesture that spread warmth around the court.

Stan Wawrinka earned the respect and love of a child with his ‘cute’ gesture

The former World No.3 has been struggling to get a grip on his racket since the beginning of this season, especially in singles. He reached a handful of quarter-finals and finals in the tour-level matches but has his eyes on a significant breakthrough that concludes his prominent career. In the process, Stanimal has epitomized how to treat mascot kids.

In his first round at Shanghai, Wawrinka played against Dusan Lajovic but lost in straight sets. However, he still made the news for making the young kid feel special. The official Instagram handle of the ATP Tour shared a story of Waw and the kid, captioning it, “TOO CUTE STAN.” The three-time Grand Slam champion walked to his bench with his mascot, holding her hand.

They even engaged in small talk during their little walk to the bench. When Stan-the Man reached the bench, he fist-bumped the kid and returned the wave that the little girl directed at him. As the young kid walked away, her face lit up like a thousand lamps as she grinned and celebrated that moment. However, the mascots hide a painful story behind their lovely smiles.

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The heartwrenching intention behind presenting the mascot kid program

In 2017, the major sponsor of the ATP, ‘Nitto,’ announced the launch of Mascot Kids. Nitto partnered with Casa UGI, a Turin-based volunteer organization that supports cancer-affected children. The mascot kids are either battling illness or come from a family affected by a chronic illness. In 2022, Andrey Rublev spoke about how vital little moments can be for the mascot kids.

According to the ATP website, the Russian also shared a heartfelt moment with his mascot as he held the hand of the young girl and conveyed sweet words. Rublev expressed that he does not want the kids to leave the match without knowing whose hand they held and what happens on the court.

After the kids escort their players to their place, they are given one of the best tickets to enjoy the match with their families. So, Rublev understood the moment’s significance as it could be a turning point for the mascot kids. What do you think about Nitto’s mascot initiative? Let us know in the comments.

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