Stan Wawrinka recalls party-crashing Serena Williams after 2015 French Open

The two Roland Garros champions celebrated their respective terre battue victories together, reveals the Swiss veteran at the Western & Southern Open.

ByDavid Kane

Published Aug 16, 2022

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WATCH: Serena will return to action in Cincinnati against reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

Stan Wawrinka took a moment to celebrate Serena Williams in the wake of her forthcoming farewell to the game at the Western & Southern Open on Monday.

“I think she's been amazing for the tennis, for the fans, for everybody who's involved a little bit in sports in general,” said the former world No. 3 after a disappointing defeat to Andy Murray.

“I have always been a big fan with many big moments during our career, and it's going to be of course sad to see her leaving after US Open.”

Williams revealed plans to “evolve” away from tennis in a Vogue Magazine op-ed last week, implying her final tournament would be in Flushing Meadows—where she won her first major title as a teenager in 1999.

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2015, we celebrated French Open together, and she crashed my party after the win. It was quite fun! Stan Wawrinka on Serena Williams

Williams and Wawrinka shared one major victory together, at 2015’s Roland Garros: for the future 23-time Grand Slam champion, it was the third leg of what would be her second Non-Calendar Year “Serena” Slam, while it was Wawrinka’s first in Paris.

“She crashed my party after the win,” revealed Wawrinka. “It was quite fun!”

They would meet again at the BNP Paribas Showdown, a Madison Square Garden exhibition the following spring, pairing up for a mixed doubles match against Caroline Wozniacki and Gaël Monfils.

While Williams, who will be on court tomorrow to face reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu, is looking to start a new chapter, Wawrinka is as eager as ever to reclaim his former on-court glory, taking positives as he works his way back after having surgery on his left foot in 2021.

"I know I'm on the right direction," Wawrinka said. "I'm feeling much better physically, and tennis-wise, the work I have done since Båstad, I did a big preparation.

"I know I'm going to get there. I need confidence in myself and what I'm doing. It takes maybe a bit more time when you get older, because you know exactly which impact can play any part on the game, so you are thinking maybe twice before playing. But it's okay. I will keep working out and get there soon."