We are missing the fans’ energy, says Wawrinka

Dubai - ‘The world is in a bit of trouble right now, everybody is in pain’

Stanislas Wawrinka, who pulled out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships due to fatigue, is longing for the return of fans in full force to the stadiums.

While some events, including last year’s US Open, have been staged behind closed doors, the majority of the tennis tournaments have witnessed only limited number of fans since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I think that’s what I have missed the most. It’s the fans, their energy and their emotion. It’s what we get when we play tournaments with full of people, full of fans. That’s what we miss the most right now,” Wawrinka, the former world number three from Switzerland, said at the draw for the men’s tournament on Saturday.

“But the world is in a bit of trouble right now, everybody is in pain. It’s difficult for everybody to make everything possible, so right now, we can be happy to have tournaments and hopefully in the near future, fans will come back to watch us,” said Wawrinka, the three-time Grand Slam winner who won the Dubai title in 2016.

The Dubai tournament has also been staged behind closed doors with strict health protocols in place.