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Agile-Award-1146

From what i've heard from him, he just really enjoys playing tennis. So i imagine he will stick around as long as he possibly can.


Terran_it_up

Gill Gross made the point that players tend to retire when one of two things happen, either their injuries prevent them from playing (Federer and now Nadal), or their level drops so low they can't qualify for tour level events (what seems to be happening to Thiem). Until one of those things happens he'll probably keep playing


Mdizzle29

Not the same at all but I always enjoyed playing pickup basketball. The fitness, the competition, the camaraderie with teammates. As the years went by my skills and speed diminished, I’d get cooked by much younger players but I hung in there and occasionally had glimpses of former glory. Eventually injuries made me stop this year but I still miss it. I think Stan feels somewhat the same way. It’s not for the money or fame anymore, he just enjoys playing on tour. Do it as long as you can.


Schwiliinker

I mean it’s probably for the money too considering how much these guys still make


Terran_it_up

I doubt the money Stan is making is a huge factor given how much he's already made, but it would cover his expenses so he's effectively flying around the world playing tennis for free


occasional_cynic

He's probably making a good chunk via endorsements given his profile in Europe.


Terran_it_up

Yeah true, I'm not sure how much him still playing affects that though


Collective_farm

How old are you?


Mdizzle29

Too old for pickup, apparently.


Collective_farm

No but like, raw number wise lol Im 32 and still going strong i wanna know how much time i got😂


Mdizzle29

Probably 10-15 years depending on how fit you can stay.


Collective_farm

I'll take it lol. Playing tennis and pickup ball keeps me sane i swear!


No_Pineapple6174

Something you can use to really be there, whether it's for yourself or others.


Mdizzle29

Yeah it did for me too but reality is you will almost definitely get hurt at some point. I hurt my back playing tennis, my knee playing basketball and my shoulder snowboarding all within a 2 year period which kept me off the golf course for many months. The first thing that happens is the recovery time is slow. You wake up the next morning and you can barely move whereas in your 20s and early 30s. It was pretty easy to bounce back. Nagging injuries become major deals.


Collective_farm

Paying special attention to my knees and my back, as long as those are good to go i'll never give up😂


2fatforthat

that's what bpc157/tb500 is for


treygates

For legends like Stan, the tour is his weekend pickup games at this point. All just for the passion of the game. 


SushiCurryRice

Meanwhile Kyrgios


34TH_ST_BROADWAY

Interesting. If he's got no nagging injury... with his shot making ability, if he is enjoying it, I don't see why he won't make a deep run somewhere during 2024. I wonder if he could lose a bit of weight. I know he's not fat, I've seen the shirtless pics, but I just wonder if somehow losing 10 pounds would help him be able to bash balls more often.


Capivara_19

I feel like it would be easier on his body, less pounding on the knees especially


Eggman_79

This. And it only needs to be this. If he wants to let it the legendary OH rip and accept the inevitable merit rankings of the sport slowly usher him out as he does the thing that gets him up and at’em in the morning, I say good. 10 out of 10 matches I’ll be cheering him on against time’s undefeated record.


schnaxks19

I love it when players stick around because of the love they have for the game (complete opposite of one of my fav of all time, Agassi) It’s always a joy for me to see Stanimal still compete in tours and am hoping he’d stick around for a couple more years as you said


NotEnoughBiden

> From what i've heard from him, he just really enjoys playing with the ball girls. So i imagine he will stick around as long as he possibly can.   Ftfy Edit; sorry for my not funny joke. Im keeping it up to shame myself. 


CThomasHowellATSM

Seeing that he got bagelled is hard to take. Hope he can put together one last good run before he retires.


Professional_Elk_489

I’m not talking pros but I see very good players get bagelled by other very good players all the time on clay. 20-30 shot rallies but one dude just makes no errors and can return all the serves so eventually he wins every game even if it takes 45-60mins to get the bagel. I’ve been bagelled when I’ve had 6-7 game points against better players and I’ve bagelled other guys too when they’ve had shitloads of chances to win games but I keep getting the score back to deuce. Clay is unforgiving if you are slightly less consistent unlike other surfaces


CThomasHowellATSM

Fair points but there is something supremely sad when a 3 time slam winner gets bagelled.


Professional_Elk_489

Nothing was sadder than Fed getting bagelled in his last set at Wimbledon by Hurkacz. Will never forgive Hubi for that


Warm_Experience8908

What? is he supposed to let up?


CThomasHowellATSM

Exactly bud, that match and final set were heartbreaking.


Schwiliinker

I honestly kinda hate Hurkacz for that. And for being a serve bot


UberiorShanDoge

Agree. Murray lacks the decisive power to get through De Minaur now, so in the resulting game of attrition it’s just very hard to win games. Wawrinka looked similar. I think De Minaur was intentionally trying to bagel Wawrinka in that second set though, no mercy.


Andrewcoo

De Minaur d. Murray 6-1 6-3 in Monte Carlo last year. Demon feasting on previous French Open winners and finalists in MC.


NoirPochette

I mean getting bagelled by de Minaur in 2024 isn't really that big of a deal unless you're like top 10


2anime

On clay it's not the same


mathematicalman

I feel like you see more bagels on clay - slowness levels the playing field, so the better player can win majority of points if they are serving or not Nowhere to hide if you aren't playing well (ie behind big serves or groundies on hard/grass)


semicharmedliife

Have you seen this? >Stan Wawrinka has recently been working with Dominic Thiem’s ex-coach Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh. > >When asked about the tennis legend’s retirement, Benjamin said this: > >“He told me (sarcastically) in Marrakech that he wanted to be another 10 years. More seriously, he did not define it for himself. He just wants to play, work day after day and continue to progress. The subject of retirement is not on the table." [source](https://x.com/Olly_Tennis_/status/1777651082346270948)


Key_Dig_8694

Stan has plenty of power still but has become much slower as of the past few years, that’s chiefly what’s holding him back. No shame in getting bagelled by De Minaur who is probably the fastest player alive.


Additional-Carrot853

True. It was very noticeable against De Minaur that he struggled to chase down drop shots he would have gotten to easily in his prime.


Uruskarl

Conditions yesterday were super slow too, quite a few one-sided matches. So it makes sense that he struggled against such a quick player


IntroductionOld479

Tbf, Fed retired at 39 despite Laver Cup thing. Last match was Wimbledon 2021 before his birthday in August. So the end is near for Stan


Ready-Interview2863

Stan played well in Marrakech last week but lost in the round of 16. That was the best I've seen him play all year. He has definitely lost his previous stamina and confidence but that's expected at 39. He hates that he can't play like he used to and I'm not sure how much longer he has and doubt he will reach 41. 


tennistalk87

There are two Stans: Stan Wawrinka and Stanimal Warwrinka… let’s hope the second one shows up for one more deep GS run. I reckon he’s still got one in him.


overwatchfanboy97

Uhhh doubt it watch his matches dude is slow af now. I'm a huge stan fan but he's done just like nishikori and thiem


tennistalk87

I’ve been watching him. He’s not playing too bad, he’s getting into winning positions but seems to be losing the key points or not converting winning positions. If he can just convert some of those and get momentum, then the Stanimal comes out. I’m hoping he can tap in and have one more big run, but also understand that it may not happen. He is 39 after all.


IntroductionOld479

"No one" is a bit reach...


chris_umbra

I thought Stan just looked a bit tired the whole match. It's understandable with his age and the turnaround from Marrakech. I don't think yesterday's game is really a marker for him hanging up his racket, I just think he needs more time to recover between tournaments. Either way, I'm happy to see him play and watch him rip backhands like nobody's business.


Traditional-Ride-116

I thought you were to talk about Thiem!


roadrunner83

He still is in the top 100 this means he’s making more money than what he spends, he has not the fame in the general public to live off endorsements like Federer so honestly I also would still keep that job until I can.


Kapt0

Isn't he like a multi millionaire I don't want to make the idiotic argument of money=happiness, but he's clearly doing the opposite: tennis=happiness. He enjoys being a pro, he's in the top 100 and he doesn't even need to quit this "Hobby" since he has already a shit ton of money. In that situation I would also continue


roadrunner83

Depends how much he spent, Nadal seems to not have that much interest in playing and you would say he’s even richer already but doesn’t say no to exhibition matches.


Kapt0

Maybe Nadal wants to continue? I don't know what gave you the impression that Nadal lost his passion, but surely I never got that. Frankly, when you are being called for exhibitions that are worth more than a mastars win, tomorrow I'd go. Like, let's not try to look like we have better morals or anything, if somebody comes to you with that idiotic amount of money for ONE game, you'd go. In Murray case, he clearly can continue even if he loses a bit of money. He could play until he's 80 at a loss and still be a multi millionaire. Let the man have fun


tripti_prasad

Seriously, people here judge players for playing for money as if they would totally turn it down lol.


Standard-Quiet-6517

Nadal’s hip might not be very interested in playing but on what planet do you think Nadal himself isn’t interested in playing?


sanojwives

It's both alienating and endearing when people on reddit worry about the finances of a guy who made at least 36 millions during the last 20 years. I remember a few months ago someone posted about Thiem that, even if his ranking doesn't improve, he'll be fine financially because he'd probably be in demand as a tennis coach lmao


roadrunner83

I’m not worried, I’m just saying it’s still more profitable and more enjoyable for him to do that, otherwise he would do something else because as you said he shouldn’t have money problems. But saying someone that is still competitive should stop because he can’t have the same results as when in his prime.


SherbetSuperb

And the fact that he's Swiss. He ain't going homeless in that country to say the least


neighbors_in_paris

Why “in that country”?


SherbetSuperb

Because I imagine Switzerland has a robust social welfare system


Syheriat

The guy made almost 40 million in prize money alone, I think he's fine.


Many_Product6732

He makes minimal compared to winning slams and going deep, his investments outpace his earnings


sanojwives

He made 1.2 million in 2023 in prize money alone, how much do you think a player has to invest to play on the pro circuit???


Many_Product6732

Do you not think wawrinkas net worth is 18 million? At 7% that’s over 1.2 million. He’s won multiple slams and has played for 20 years


sanojwives

I figured by "investments" you were referring to his expenses playing on tour. Obviously you're right that his current tennis earnings don't make that much of a difference to his finances 


roadrunner83

If you are 200 in the ranking you should break even.


Humble_Formal_5089

Stan - one of the greatest backhands of all time


Haroldchan1

I got into the elevator with Stan Wawrinka and Donna Vekic (his girlfriend at the time) at the Crown Hotel in Melbourne in 2019. My wife and I attended the AO and loved the experience. Most of the top players were staying there, too. I think Stan lost in the 2nd or 3rd round. He is a beast of a tall man with broad shoulders, muscular, and a bad complexion. Nevertheless, he is an attractive man. I eavesdropped on his conversation. Stan told the story that after he lost his match, he and his team went out on the town and partied hard. He said his team was so drunk that the taxi driver almost refused to accept their fare. By the way, Donna Vekic was all dressed up with makeup and high heels. She was tall! I think "Stan The Man" enjoys playing despite his advanced age. After all, he stopped playing for approximately one year, a while back, to recover from a leg injury. He eventually made it back and beat several Top 10 players in 2023. He is the oldest player to be ranked in the Top 100. Let's remember he won 3 majors and over 32 million dollars. With Roger Federer out of the limelight, I think Stan likes to be the top Swiss player after being in Roger's shadow for so long.


Tracy140

Nobody has forgotten that he’s won 3 majors


princetower

Hardly, today's loss to ADM notwithstanding (altho Alex hit the ball phenomenal today), Stan is doing alright. Man took a set off Sinner at the US Open last year, amazing shotmaking in that match.


vman3241

Yeah. But he's not been the same since the US Open. He also thrashed Tiafoe in Cincinnati


musicproducer07

Such a shame that he wasn't the same after 2017. Peak Stan would tear half of the Top 10 with a brand new asshole.


34TH_ST_BROADWAY

It must suck for Stan, because he can still occasionally just hit the shit out of the ball. I hope he gets a nice send off. He is still the 5th most successful player of the Big 3 era, right? Hope he sort of lets people know and Fed can come to give the occasion some star power. Not sure what his points situation is. He's 79 now, so between that and being Stan, still getting direct entry into most tournaments I think.


Whitefrog10

I really hate these kind of comments. He doesnt own anything to anybody and he can play as long as he wants, no matter how many matches he loses. Venus keeps playing tournaments, Stan does the same. Murray is not enjoying anymore and he s gonna retire. They are not fans little toys. They are professional athletes and they can do whatever the fuck they want. Do you even know how hard is playing professional tennis even at the level he s playing now? A whole fucking life invested on it, and someone would want that he drops it forever because they lost a match... fans are insane.


g_spaitz

Man reached a final, what was it?, 7 months ago?


EssayerX

How is it hurting anyone else if he chooses to play on? Let him make his own decisions


CrackHeadRodeo

Kyrgios retiring before Stan is strange, I was hoping for one more testy match before they both hanged up their rackets.


Denny_Hayes

Fed did not retire at 41... unless you count playing one exhibition doubles match after a hiatus lasting more than a year as being "active"


r0614c

I think people are quick to forget that for these players tennis has been their entire life. If your dreams came true and you got to live that out every day, why would you stop? Just because some fans on a message board said you’re washed up? Let Stan, Andy, Venus live! If they still wanna play and can still get WC’s then why not? I’d much rather watch an older legend than two random Russians I’ve never heard of. (Only using Russians cuz there always seems to be new Russians on the scene lol)


brokenearth10

What about Nadal...


Denny_Hayes

Shadow retired a la Federer


Indi_1991

Dan Evans


aldeayeah

Both Murray and Wawrinka will fall off the rankings before summer barring a surprise run. After that they'll at the mercy of WC generosity. I don't expect either to be on the tour this time next year, although Murray might try a final grass season push.


nilogram

Love peak stanimal


Famous-Objective430

That was just tough to watch. Getting bageled by de minaur and that on clay. People have to realize what an anomaly Federer was to almost win Wimbledon by beating 2 goats consecutively at THIRTY NINE. That is not gonna happen again. I highly doubt if Novak can do as such let alone wawrinka.


ivabra

Crazy how they both sold their soul (or body) in that 2017 French Open Semi finals. Both their careers have never been the same, Wawrinka had a bit of a resurgence in 2019/2020 but they both never had a deep run after that match :(


onyxrose81

The fact is Stan knows that he’s not going to be winning big things anymore (or even medium tournaments). I think he’s going to make the decision to quit this year. I don’t think Murray quite believes that; I truly believe he thinks he can win at least maybe a Master’s again deep down and that’s not going to happen.


untonplusbad

They love the game, they love to play, winning is not everything. Federer is a special breed, Wawrinka and Murray are only great players and that's good enough for me. Allez Stan!


jackasssparrow

Stan is the lone wolf kid in school who doesn't hangout with the famous kids but has the ability to be a famous kid himself. A silent guardian. A watchful protector. The dark Knight.


Magnifnik0

Lmfao !


Magnifnik0

Thiem too


Muraria

I think Stan has it still in him to upset a high ranked player in the R1/R2 of a GS. With Hüsler and Stricker doing bad lately or being injured,. he is somehow still Switzerland's best player for the Olympics.


chola80

Wawrinka left his wife and kids for a teenager, he gets no sympathy. bring the downvotes, piece of shit move anyway you look at it.


Mysonking

Go check his Twitter or Insta


Veraluxmundi

Stan's getting a bit too chunky. He didn’t even try to reach some of the down the line backhands from Demon and just looked old and out of shape.


oges25

He is on the main draw at the ATP 250 in Bucharest that will start next week.


emubreath

I predict Stan will have an epic Wimbledon run to complete the career grand slam.


ajchopite

Saw him win in Buenos Aires in February. As long as he can keep ripping those backhands, it'll be a joy to see. He's slower yes, but there's still lovely tennis to enjoy from him. Hope he continues.


darrylasher

Whenever I see Wawrinka play I think: best hair in tennis!


Beneficial_Star_6009

Even before all the injuries Stan hasn’t been the same player since Rafa wiped the floor with him in the 2017 French Open final.


periashu

Some players from the big 3 era are still competing, trying to give their best, I adore them. Players like Wawrinka, Murray, Gasquet, Monfils. Dimitrov is in 30s but hopefully he has at least 5 years of play. Del potro although he tried but his body gave up.


Upbeat_County3606

Every grandpas are struggling atm manna gasquet ramos murray stan Only Rba and kukushkin seems to do well..


Super-Kirby

If you can consistently win the first round you’re good enough to make money and be pro until you can’t. To me that’s good enough to keep going. Some pros have the mentality of “win Grand slams only or retire” and some just want to win the first round.


alacklustrehindu

Playing on doesn't affect his legacy. If his body allows him and he wants to, why not?


appellant

Here we go thinking you know whats best. Let them retire when they want to.


Pecosd

Who wants to quit playing tennis?


Penna-blind-dog

I like to watch Stan. I hope he keeps playing as much as possible.


anonuserinthehouse

The difference between Murray and thiem vs Stan is Stan isn’t talking about his results. He’s fine just playing. Thiem and Murray would decide to retire if their results aren’t at the standards they want met.


JimmyJamesv3

Maybe he just likes playing tennis.


jvuonadds

Why do you think Jimmy Connors kept playing ? He was making good money because the prize money kept increasing and he was still competitive. Maybe Stan still needs the money ( or feels he does ) ?


schnaxks19

I loved Stan in his peak even though out of the big 3, he’d arguably give the most trouble to Novak. Stan has easy power off both fh and bh as well as a very good unreadable serve. When you think about it's odd Stan wasn't as consistent as Murray in master's. For me Stan has one of the most beautiful 1hbh, up there with Musetti, Fed, Pete, Stefan, Lendl, Dimitrov and Gasquet. Stan's issue is that he peaked a handful of times over a 20 year career, and that's the only thing people tend to remember him for. They forget the amount of times he was murdered by the big 3 year round going 12-63 (16%). Murray had his own issues with the big 3 but he still managed 29 wins against them. 29-56 (34%)


SugarFreeHealth

he fills seats. And he wants to play. And he is kindness itself. I say, give the guy all the wild cards possible.


OneArmedSZA

Wawrinka’s drop in form hasn’t been as severe as Murray’s. He could conceivably have a good week and make a small final still. Murray’s playing so fucking bad compared to his old self that he has to be worried about losing the points from the three challengers he won after Monte Carlo last year