NEW YORK — On the last changeover of the final Grand Slam tournament he will ever play, Stan Wawrinka sat in his chair, leaned all the way forward and fiddled with his wristbands.
Eventually, he unbowed his head and took a drink, toweled himself off and tried to jog some life into his legs as he waited for the applause to build.
Wawrinka's fans stuffed themselves into every inch of Grandstand court Monday at the US Open, hoping to see one more down-the-line winner roped off his majestic one-handed backhand, one more screaming fist pump, one more finger pointed to his temple after a huge point — the signature celebration from his brief time as the antidote to the dominance of tennis' Big Three.
Try as they might to will a Wawrinka comeback into existence, the "Let's go Stan" chants faded. Moments later, he walked to the net and embraced Matteo Berrettini, who had beaten him 7-6, 7-6, 6-0. Then he went to the middle of the court, clapped his hands and tapped his heart.
"I'm gonna miss it for sure," Wawrinka said, voice cracking. "I'm gonna miss it."
#stan #court #miss #eventually
Eventually, he unbowed his head and took a drink, toweled himself off and tried to jog some life into his legs as he waited for the applause to build.
Wawrinka's fans stuffed themselves into every inch of Grandstand court Monday at the US Open, hoping to see one more down-the-line winner roped off his majestic one-handed backhand, one more screaming fist pump, one more finger pointed to his temple after a huge point — the signature celebration from his brief time as the antidote to the dominance of tennis' Big Three.
Try as they might to will a Wawrinka comeback into existence, the "Let's go Stan" chants faded. Moments later, he walked to the net and embraced Matteo Berrettini, who had beaten him 7-6, 7-6, 6-0. Then he went to the middle of the court, clapped his hands and tapped his heart.
"I'm gonna miss it for sure," Wawrinka said, voice cracking. "I'm gonna miss it."
#stan #court #miss #eventually
2 months ago
