"Without Roger Federer's shadow, Stan Wawrinka would be an absolute superstar in any other country"- Former German player Dieter Kindlmann
In a recent interview with Tennisnet.com, former tennis player Dieter Kindlmann said that if Stan Wawrinka had not been under the shadow of Roger Federer, he would have been an "absolute superstar" in any other nation. Kindlmann also highlighted that Switzerland is "incredibly blessed" to have so many great players, including the likes of Roger Federer, Martina Hingis, Stan Wawrinka, and Belinda Bencic.
Dieter Kindlmann, a member of the technical team of the Swiss Federation, stated that Stan Wawrinka would have made an even bigger name on the ATP Tour if Roger Federer was not from his nation.
“You cannot compare Roger Federer, Martina Hingis, Belinda Bencic or Stan Wawrinka between them. But Switzerland is incredibly blessed with the number of good players from here. Without Roger Federer's shadow, Stan Wawrinka would be an absolute superstar in any other country," said Kindlmann.
Having previously coached the likes of Elise Mertens and Angelique Kerber, Kindlmann revealed that the Swiss dominance in tennis is largely because the sport is considered "very important" in Switzerland. He mentioned that he wants to witness the same level of enthusiasm for the sport in other countries as well.
"As far as I know, after my seven months here, the success is also due to the fact that tennis is very important to society. There is an incredible amount of support and enthusiasm for the sport. I would like that in other countries too," added the former coach.
When are Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka planning to make a comeback to the court?
Neither Roger Federer nor Stan Wawrinka have played a professional tennis match for quite some time now. While the Swiss maestro last featured at the Wimbledon Championships 2021 before suffering a knee injury, Wawrinka skipped the entire season after the 2021 Qatar Open due to a foot injury.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka has withdrawn from Wimbledon due to the foot injury that ruled him out of the ongoing French Open.
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#Wimbledon
Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, who won the gold medal in the doubles category of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, have not played much tennis in the last two years. The two have also withdrawn from the 2022 Australian Open to focus on their on-going recovery.
Olympic flashback! @rogerfederer and @stanwawrinka teamed up back in 2008 for the Beijing #Olympics and brought the gold home to Switzerland. 👏
"It’s a dream come true moment," Federer said after the win. 🇨🇭
#tennis #federer #wawrinka https://t.co/1OAGL1ROrd
Wawrinka is undergoing a rehabilitation process at Center Ooredoo, the training ground of the football club Paris Saint Germain. Even though his return date is not certain, there is a high possibility that the 36-year-old will make a comeback in 2022.
As far as Federer is concerned, he is still not sure about his participation at the Wimbledon Championships 2022. The 40-year-old will take a final call on the issue in April or May next year. However, there is some positive news for fans as Federer has started hitting the gym after his third knee surgery.
It will be intriguing to see if the tennis world gets to see Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka pair up once again at a tennis event before they hang their rackets.
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