Stan Wawrinka is back in an official match at the Marbella Challenger after more than a year of inactivity. The Swiss was stopped by an injury to his left foot that required two surgeries, but he has no intention of giving up.
Wawrinka explained during an interview: “What motivates me the most is the passion for tennis. I love to play and I love tennis. We have the privilege of being able to dedicate ourselves to this sport. I am satisfied to be back to play even though I still have a lot of work to do.”
Alexander Bublik: “I hate clay-courts”
The three-time Grand Slam champion today made his Masters 1000 debut in Monte Carlo and lost in three sets to Alexander Bublik. The Swiss made significant steps forward compared to the defeat he suffered in Marbella to Elias Ymer and only appeared in difficulty in the final and decisive set. Bublik, for his part, managed to impose himself in the final part of the match and in the next round he will face Pablo Carreno Busta.
The Kazakh has never had an idyllic relationship with clay and, at the end of the match won against Wawrinka, he did not hide his mixed feelings. He said in the post-match interview on ATP microphones: “I hate clay-courts.Ā I hate this surface. I hope this part of the season passes quickly and then we play on the grass. This is the only thing I can say.”
Bublik is not the first player to express his discontent with clay. Nick Kyrgios, throughout his career, has always criticized this surface and in particular Roland Garros: “It shouldn’t be considered a surface. I hate it for making my socks and shoes dirty. Roland Garros? It should just be deleted from the calendar. It’s the worst garbage I’ve ever seen in my life. Compared to other Slam tournaments there is an abyss.”