Scream or stay silent during a point? Hardcourt or clay? - Stan Wawrinka participates in fun game ahead of Saudi Arabia exhibition
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka recently participated in a fun 'This or that' game ahead of the Diriyah Tennis Cup, a high-profile exhibition tournament scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia from December 8-10.
In a reel posted by the tournament's Instagram handle, the Swiss can be seen choosing answers from questions based on the myriad facets of his game.
Wawrinka was first asked to select one between forehand and backhand. Unsurprisingly, the owner of arguably the best single-handed backhand on the tour went for that particular shot.
Armed with a deadly baseline game, the 37-year-old then went on to choose baseline over net. The third answer could surprise many tennis fans as he picked 'scream' over 'staying silent during a point'.
Stan Wawrinka was then thrown a question about his training regimen. Between cardio and strength, he went for the former. The next question was tricky for the tennis ace, who has French Open, Australian Open and US Open titles apiece under his belt. When asked to pick one from hardcourt and clay, Wawrinka hesitated at first and took his own sweet time before eventually going for the red dirt.
The video then ends with Wawrinka opting for serve over return.
You can watch the fun reel here:
A holder of 16 career titles, Stan Wawrinka's world ranking has now slipped to 150th after his battle with numerous injuries over the past few years. He finished the 2022 season with an 8-14 win-loss record on the tour. The former World No. 3's most notable performances were reaching the semifinals at Metz and the quarterfinals at home in Basel.
Stan Wawrinka part of star-studded field at Diriyah Tennis Cup
Stan Wawrinka will be one of three Grand Slam champions to take part in the upcoming Diriyah Tennis Cup, with the others being Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem.
Medvedev won the inaugural edition of the event in 2019. The upcoming edition will be the second-ever installment of the Diriyah Tennis Cup, which will have a highly exciting 12-player line-up.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev, Cameron Norrie, Nick Kyrgios, and rising star Dominic Stricker are the others to have been confirmed to compete at this event, which has a total prize money of $3 million.
The official draw of this tournament will be held on December 7 while it gets underway the following day. The top four seeds will receive a bye into the quarterfinals, which will be completed on December 8.
The semifinals and the final are scheduled for December 9 and 10, respectively.