After Monte-Carlo loss, Wawrinka says he “will take the time I need, and when I will be ready, I will play another tournament”

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka said his schedule for the coming weeks remains to be decided following his loss to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in the first round of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Monday.

Playing just his second match after more than a year on the sidelines due to injuries, Wawrinka went down in three sets to Bublik 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the two-hour, seven-minute encounter.

Wawrinka is now 0-2 in his comeback, having lost in the first round of the ATP Challenger in Marbella last month. But the Swiss said he feels he has improved since that loss in Spain.

“It was a way better match. I think the body’s getting much better. I’m still far away from where I want to be, but I think I’m the right direction. It was a tough loss, of course, but I’m happy with the way I was playing today. ,Right now I knew coming here that I’m not physically and tennis-wise ready. I wanted to play a few matches with the challenger two weeks ago. Now we are practicing with the top guys to get my level a bit better.”

“I was playing better, feeling better on the court of course physically, tennis-wise, and also I spent a lot of mental energy to focus, to stay there as it was tough at the end, but again, I’m happy with what I have done today.”

I’m going to discuss with my team about what I’m going to do in the following weeks: Wawrinka

Wawrinka also told the media that he needs to talk to his team and discuss what his schedule would look like going forward.

“I’m going to discuss with my team about what I’m going to do in the following weeks. What I need is to have a program that allows me when I get to the next tournament to feel that I’m ready, so I will take the time I need, and when I will be ready, I will play another tournament. Anyway, I hadn’t scheduled to play any tournaments after Monte-Carlo anyway. It’s not so important to know how much time I have before the next tournament.”

Bublike will go on to face 13th seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round of the tournament.

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