Wawrinka and Rune involved in frosty exchange after Indian Wells match

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Stan Wawrinka and Holger Rune produced another entertaining clash at Indian Wells before another frosty conversation at the net afterwards. Swiss star Wawrinka was not happy after losing to the teenager at last year’s Paris Masters and accused his opponent of ‘acting like a baby’.

He avenged his defeat to Rune by securing a 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 victory in the Californian desert. But after they had shaken hands at the end of the encounter, Rune went back for more and said to the 37-year-old: “You got nothing to say to me now?” 

Unable to hear what he said, Wawrinka replied “huh”, before the Dane repeated his question. Confused, the three-time Grand Slam champion hit back: “What do you want me to say?” as he shook the hand of the chair umpire.

The Eurosport commentator deemed the reaction of Rune “unnecessary” as Wawrinka thanked the crowd following a hard-fought win. The world no. 8’s comments come after Wawrinka criticised his rival during a dramatic first-round match at the Paris Masters last November.

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After saving three match points to defeat the veteran, Rune was reprimanded somewhat by his opponent, as Wawrinka said: “My advice to you is that you stop acting like a baby on court.”

The tennis starlet’s on-court behaviour has been criticised by others in the past, with Casper Ruud urging him to ‘grow up’ after their fiery clash in the 2022 French Open quarter-finals.

Ruud said: “I don’t know Holger personally, but I have seen on TV that sometimes there can be a lot of drama. He’s young and new, so that’s excusable, but when you’re on a big stage, it might be time to grow up a bit.”

Furthermore, in 2021 the ATP investigated him for allegedly yelling multiple homophobic slurs as he faced Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the Biella Challenger tournament in Italy.

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Rune, who was keen to earn a second successive victory over Wawrinka, was unable to outlast his opponent in California as the former world no.3 earned his 550th tour-level win. The victory also marked the first time he had reached the fourth round at an ATP Masters 1000 event since 2020.

“I feel good,” Wawrinka said. “The last 45 minutes was tough. I had the match in control, was playing well. I was putting a lot of pressure, I should have won the match way before. I started feeling nervous and hesitated a little bit. 

“It was important to stay there mentally because I am playing well. I was trying to stay calm with myself. I lost to him already in Paris. All my career I know only one way. To keep fighting, working, pushing myself and stay positive.” Wawrinka faces another tough clash in the next round as Italy’s Jannick Sinner stands between him and a spot in the quarter-finals.

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