Stan Wawrinka plots weight loss as he eyes Novak Djokovic battle

Stan Wawrinka has revealed that he is planning to lose some weight in his continued comeback from foot surgery. The former world No 3 went under the knife in 2021 and returned to the tour 14 months ago. He has already returned to the world’s top 100 but the three-time Major champion believes that weight loss could be the key to staying competitive with the top players.

Wawrinka has been struggling with injuries in recent years, first dealing with a knee issue six years ago before returning to the top 15 in 2019. He has since been dealing with a foot issue, undergoing double foot surgery in 2021 and making his comeback last year.

The 38-year-old has already earned two top 10 victories and reentered the world’s top 100 since his return but is now looking to kick things up a notch as he bids to compete with the “top players” again. At his peak, Wawrinka defeated the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to win Grand Slam title.

Speaking to Tennis Channel, Wawrinka said he thought losing “one to two kilos” could make a big difference. “Right now I think the game is being played a bit faster,” the world No 84 explained. “When you get older, you need to do more to get less results. You need to practice more, you need to spend more time with the physio.”

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After turning 38 last month, Wawrinka admitted that it took dedication to keep trying to compete at his age. He continued: “You really need to enjoy that if you don’t enjoy it there’s no chance you can keep playing. As I say, I’m trying to stay competitive with the top players.”

And a short weight loss journey could be the thing to help him stay with the young players coming through, as he has already notched wins over Holger Rune and Casper Ruud in the last few months. “For that I need to try to practise as much as possible on my line, try to be as fast as possible and sometimes a bit hesitating and a bit slow with the way I’m moving,” he analysed.

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“Maybe I need to lose one to two kilos also to feel much better on the court.” Wawrinka will get the chance to prove himself against another top player on Friday as he faces Andrey Rublev at the Madrid Open.

The fifth seed is enjoying his best start to the clay season so far – finally winning his maiden Masters title in Monte Carlo before reaching the Banja Luka final on Sunday. Wawrinka already has a match win under his belt in Madrid, beating Maxime Cressy in a tight three-setter.

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