After his convincing comeback in 2019, former World Number three Stan Wawrinka reached the quarters of Australian Open this year. That marked his second straight quarterfinal run at a Grand Slam. With the ATP Tour being on hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic, Wawrinka feels tennis won’t resume in the near future.
“It’s hard to imagine that the tennis season will resume this year. Tennis is one of the most difficult sporting activities to manage at the time of coronavirus. We will have to wait until frontier will be reopened and it will be possible to travel around the world again,” three-time major champion Wawrinka told L’Equipe.
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French Open 2020 has been rescheduled to take place in the last week of September. But the former champion is skeptical about the clay Major getting underway this year.
“Tennis will be the final step on the way back to normality” – Stan Wawrinka
Even if the conditions get better in Europe, tennis is an international sport. It involves a workforce from all over the world. The on-going travel restrictions and widespread disease will have a huge impact. Tennis will take a substantial amount of time to resume yet.
“Tennis will be the final step on the way back to normality. For example, Roland Garros is not organized by fifty people. Even when it is held behind closed doors, there are many people involved in the organization. Everything is possible, but it is likely that we will not return on the court this year,” the Swiss star added.
Another former French Open finalist, Andy Muray, is skeptical about the French Major taking place this year.
Read More – “I’m Skeptical” – Andy Murray on French Open 2020 Getting Underway
The other day Wawrinka was in conversation with his best friend Benoit Paire via Instagram LIVE. Therein, he reminisced his tough defeat at Roland Garros finals against the ultimate king, Rafael Nadal, in 2017.
“Rafa on clay is probably the toughest singles feat in tennis. You cannot defeat prime Federer on grass, and you might have a chance to lose 6-4. But not 6-2 like against Rafa in the Roland Garros final. He destroyed me that day,” Stan Wawrinka told Paire.
Wawrinka had the chance to beat Nadal once on clay during the Rome Masters 2015.
