Is Stan Wawrinka capable of cracking the ATP Top 10 again?
By Harry Floyd
Stan Wawrinka is fresh off of a strong run at the Rotterdam Open. The Swiss tennis star jumps massively in the men’s singles rankings.
A runner-up finish at the 2019 Rotterdam Open has Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka in the spotlight yet again. It has been a tough road back to truly competitive form for the veteran. In 2017, issues with his knee got the best of him. HERE is a look back at Wawrinka sharing an update just following a second surgery nearly two years ago now.
He remained optimistic about his return to the ATP Tour back then and that comeback might finally be complete. The big question though; can he keep up his current pace?
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Wawrinka falls to another peer and stellar veteran in Gael Monfils at the Rotterdam Open. Monfils was someone we said to watch throughout all of the 2019 ATP Tour. He is a fan favorite and appeared on the verge of notching yet another ATP singles title. He does it in Rotterdam, defeating Wawrinka in the finals in a tough three sets.
Throughout his Rotterdam run though, Wawrinka displayed brilliant moments of tennis. His match wins included victories over the likes of top seeded Japanese star Kei Nishikori, rising ATP star Denis Shapovalov, Canadian great Milos Raonic, and French veteran Benoît Paire.
Wawrinka posts four very high profile match wins in Rotterdam. Deservedly so, he jumps a massive 27 places in the men’s singles rankings. Wawrinka moves all the way up to the world number 41 ranking on the ATP Tour. He is a former world number three.
Can Wawrinka retouch career heights in men’s singles? That remains to be seen. It takes a ton of work to crack the ATP Top 10, let alone the top three or beyond. Novak Djokovic has remained the top contender in men’s singles tennis now for the past year. Consistent success takes you to the top of the sport and Wawrinka needs to prove that he has what it takes to last an entire season on tour. He is, however, off to a good start so far in 2019.
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Hats off to Stan Wawrinka on his performance at the Rotterdam Open. The 33-year-old tennis star is a three-time Grand Slam champion in men’s singles and has the talent inside of him to beat anyone on tour. Getting back to the top requires doing so throughout the bulk of the year. Stay tuned to see if Wawrinka can remain healthy, competitive, and continue to rise in the men’s singles rankings.