Stan Wawrinka meets Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg in Miami
Stan Wawrinka recently made an early exit from the 2023 Indian Wells after going down in a three-set battle against Holger Rune. He is now taking time off and letting his hair down in Miami before his next assignment.
The Swiss took to Instagram to share pictures from his downtime with his friends, Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg and hotelier David Grutman.
In one of the pictures, Stan Wawrinka can be seen enjoying Wahlberg's company under the Miami sun. The actor can be seen wearing his sports utility gear brand, Municipal.
In another picture, the three-time Grand Slam champion can be seen on court with his friend David Grutman. He appears to be teaching Grutman his famous backhand as he holds the hotelier's hand, apparently showing him the right grip and position.
The duo can be seen in another picture, embracing each other presumably at a restaurant.
David Grutman, who owns restaurants and nightclubs across Miami, has been friends with Wawrinka for many years and the two are often seen partying together.
Stan Wawrinka enters the Top 100 in rankings
After a tough couple of years, marred by injuries that almost had him calling time on his career, Stan Wawrinka fought his way back into the Top 100 of the ATP rankings.
While the 37-year-old was outside the Top 300 in 2021, he is now at No. 87, making him the oldest player in the Top 100 bracket.
He has had a positive 2023 season so far with quarter-final finishes at both the Open 13 Provence and the Rotterdam Open. However, Wawrinka had his fans cheering and applauding every time the Swiss came out on the court.
In an interview with the ATP at Indian Wells, he spoke about how special it felt to receive the crowd's support.
"Of course, it’s always special," Wawrinka said. "That’s one of the main reasons why I keep playing tennis. I enjoy what I’m doing. I’m passionate about it," he said. "The emotion that I get from the fans, from the people in each tournament, from the support that I can get in matches, is always going to be special."
When asked to pick a match in which he felt the most emotional, the 3-time Grand Slam champion recalled his 2015 French Open title win against Novak Djokovic.
"It’s tough to say, but I would probably pick the French Open final against Novak Djokovic. It’s tough to pick one because I’ve had so many. I’m lucky I have many big memories, but the French Open has always been special," he said.
Stan Wawrinka is yet to make any official announcement of his next outing.