Stanislas Wawrinka may compete against other players on tour, but he's also happy to help his friends when needed.
The two-time Grand Slam champion said he has recently given advice to both Benoit Paire and Gael Monfils about their careers.
"Friends—if I can help them, I try. I don't think about competition," he told *L'Equipe*, as quoted by Tennis Translations.
Wawrinka said he talked to Monfils during the hard-court season about choosing a new coach and helped set up an arrangement with Mikael Tillström, who is part of the Good to Great academy with Wawrinka's coach Magnus Norman.
"Gael, he’s a friend," said Wawrinka. "I saw that he was uncertain. I asked him to name me some coaches he would like. He mentioned Tillström, saying he had asked him a few years ago but Mikael said no. And Gael didn't want to ask again, thinking he still didn't want to.
"I tried to convince Gaël to try again, and, at the same time, I tested the waters with Magnus. I went back to Gael and told him the answer might be different this time."
Wawrinka also gave his input to Paire, one of the players he most friendly with.
"In Chennai, at the start of the season I talked a lot with Benoit, and gave him my thoughts on a lot of things. And then Yannick (a hitting partner) who was there told me, 'It’s incredibly cool what you’re doing, because he’s an opponent.' Maybe, but Benoit is a friend. Yeah, he’s a potential opponent, but first of all, it's better if he progresses and, secondly, how many times will we face each other during our careers—if Gael improves because of Tillström and beats me, it won’t change my life, it can just change my week."
The 31-year-old also described his desire to take on the top players even if it means a defeat, saying, "Playing the best is what I love the most."