Andy Murray praised Stan Wawrinka. (Image: Getty)
was left wowed by the performance of Stan Wawrinka despite the Swiss veteran losing his first-round match at the Rotterdam Open. At the grand old age of 39, Wawrinka didn’t look out of place as he went toe-to-toe with world No.7 , taking the first set in a tie-break.
He couldn’t convert that lead into a victory, though, as the Russian upped the ante in the deciding set.
However, the display again suggested that the three-time Grand Slam winner was still capable of living with the elite, and Murray took to social media during the clash to laud his longevity.
“Watching Stan the man @stanwawrinka battling with one of the best players in the world at nearly 40 years of age in the first round in Rotterdam,” wrote the Scot on X. “What a player! #levels.“
Murray himself was considered a veteran of the sport before retiring this summer at the age of 37. In 2021, Wawrinka’s own career appeared in serious doubt after a foot injury caused him to miss the clay, grass and hardcourt seasons, which included three of the four Grand Slam events.
He also missed the 2022 but successfully returned to action in March of that year and has since remained injury-free. And despite turning 40 in little over a month, at the start of this current campaign, .
The Swiss veteran pushed Daniil Medvedev all the way, (Image: Getty)
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“My plan was always to continue,” he said. “The way I feel, tennis-wise and physically, how well I train, the level of play I reach….but of course, there is also the reality of results and rankings.
“If I no longer have the opportunity to play in the big tournaments that I usually enjoy, that could affect my motivation to carry on. So far, that has not been the case.”
Wawrinka, who has captured the Australian, , and titles in his iconic career, is now ranked outside the world’s top 150. And after being made to work hard to beat him in the Netherlands, Medvedev was full of praise for both his opponent’s play and character.
“He played good, but it’s Stan, he always plays good,” said the Russian. “Of course, he is not at his peak when he was winning Grand Slams. I never played him when he was at this level, and it’s a pity because I would love it as a challenge.
“I am pretty sure there would be some matches where he would chop me and somewhere I would fight. Stan is also an amazing guy. In my opinion, he is one of the humblest, nicest guys on tour.”