Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka both showed their class after contesting their 23rd match against each other. Wawrinka came out on top 6-4 6-4 6-2 in the first round of the French Open.
After the match, they had a lengthy chat during their handshake at the net. Murray refused to share the details of the “private” chat.
But he was still happy to voice his respect for Wawrinka in the wake of defeat, with the former world No. 3 doing the same.
“Well, it’s a private conversation,” Murray said when asked what they told one another. “But I said well done for winning.”
It was Murray’s third successive match against Wawrinka at the French Open. They faced off in the 2017 semi-final and again in the first round back in 2020. The Swiss star won all three of those meetings but it was the former world No. 1 who came out on top in the 2016 semi-final.
Abd the Brit opened up on the respect between them, showing his class in defeat. He continued: “Yeah, we have obviously played each other and known each other for an extremely long time.
“I first played him back in 2005, and had some great matches with him. You know, we spent a lot of time on the practice court and stuff with each other over the years. Yeah, we’re obviously, both of us, are close towards the end. Yeah, just had a chat with him, yeah, at the net.”
Wawrinka returned the favour as he also talked up his opponent after winning his first tour-level match in almost two months. “It was emotional, for sure. We’re getting closer to the end, and we played so many times over the last 20 years,” the 2015 French Open champion said.
“A lot of emotion. Was amazing to be on the Chatrier night session, something I never had a chance to do it. And, yeah, he’s amazing guy, amazing player, such a big fighter. We have a lot of respect for each other.”
Although Murray was never able to capture the French Open crown like Wawrinka, the 39-year-old commended his rival’s achievements on the Parisian clay. He explained: “I think Andy did everything he could since he arrive on tour. Super young, he was amazing fighter. He always find solutions.
“He’s one of the hardest workers on tour. Since more than 20 years, he always wanted to improve. He always improved his game. Like you say, at the French Open, he made semifinal, went to the final, he became No. 1. He achieved everything a player could achieve in tennis.”
And Wawrinka is hoping to see Murray continue after the Brit teased a potential retirement this summer. “He’s amazing champion, amazing guy. I think he has a lot of fans, a lot of people start playing tennis because of him. I respect him a lot. I enjoyed played him a lot last 20 years. We played so many times, so many big battle. Hopefully he’s going to keep going a little bit,” the former world No. 3 concluded.
