Stan Wawrinka says he had to regroup following his second Grand Slam victory, but was helped by his growing experience at the top of the game.
Wawrinka defeated Novak Djokovic to win this year’s French Open, subsequently getting to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and then the semifinals of the US Open.
"When you win a big title like the French Open, it's tough," he told the *Telegraph*. "The emotion in doing this is really up and down. Afterwards, you feel a little bit lonely, a bit of depression mentally. Because it’s so much stress and emotion, so many people around—and then it’s completely empty. That’s the beauty of tennis but also the challenge because it’s not always easy."
Wawrinka said he marked the occasion with family and friends. "I don’t go to a crazy nightclub, I do it at the hotel. Then I was at home, and trying to be with my daughter a little bit more. You still think a lot how you are going to restart the engine, especially to get back on the tour. In the end it was okay—I did it well. Two weeks later I was at Queen’s and you don’t have a choice. But it’s never simple."
The 30-year-old’s personal life has been scrutinized this season, including the announcement that he had split from his wife, and the thrusting of his relationship with fellow player Donna Vekic into the spotlight by Nick Krygios, but found the professional adjustment was not as big as during his climb into the top ranks the previous season.
"Okay, it’s not normal for me to win a Grand Slam and to be No. 4," he said. "It’s amazing, but... there is nothing that I am like, ‘Auh, I need to adapt.'"
Despite inflicting the only Grand Slam defeat of the season for Djokovic, Wawrinka said it had increased their connection. "It is maybe not his best memory, but we always talk about it because we went through a lot of emotions that day," he said.