Stan Wawrinka is known to possess one of the strongest one-handed backhands in the world. He has been a prominent figure on the tennis tour for several years. He has three Grand Slam titles, sixteen tour titles, and a gold medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics alongside Roger Federer. His dominance in the sport came when most players start planning for retirement.
Wawrinka’s career is marked by resilience and late success. The 38-year-old is the oldest player in the top hundred of the rankings and the highest-ranked Swiss player. He is currently playing at the Cincinnati Masters. There have been many ups and downs for the player on and off the court.
Stan Wawrinka’s ex-wife Ilham Vuilloud
Wawrinka’s personal life has been complex, marked by his relationship with his ex-wife Ilham Vuilloud, a TV Reporter, host, and model from Switzerland. The couple started dating in 2005 and married in 2009 but faced problems due to Wawrinka’s absence at home.
Wawrinka was said to have moved to a hotel for a brief period of time in 2011, just a year after the birth of a daughter. He had packed his bags without informing his family. He moved back in with his family after a few months as things got settled. The couple had a tough time from 2010 to 2012. They finally decided to divorce in 2015.
Stan Wawrinka’s daughter: Alexia
Wawrinka and Vuilloud have a daughter, Alexia, born in February 2010. Despite the divorce, Wawrinka continues to spend time with his daughter and even has her name tattooed on his abdomen. Alexia was often seen in her father’s matches and also practice sessions.
She presently stays with her mother, Vuilloud, but also spends time with Wawrinka. She has not been in the spotlight much since the divorce. Wawrinka does spend time with his daughter and continues to visit her. Her Instagram account has ten posts but is kept private.
Stan Wawrinka’s relationship with Donna Vekic
After his divorce, Wawrinka dated fellow player Donna Vekic from 2015 to 2019. Vekic was eleven years his junior and had just entered the top 100 on the WTA tour. The couple spent most of their time together after the tournaments.
The couple was rising high in their careers while dating. They were seen together in public and also shared pictures on social media. It became difficult when their careers progressed further, as both had busy schedules. Since their split, Wawrinka has remained single, focusing on his comeback to the sport.
Stan Wawrinka had a late entry into the Grand Slams
Wawrinka’s entry into the Grand Slams was surprisingly late but impactful. Up until 2014, he had won four titles and only made one semifinal appearance in Grand Slams.
However, between 2014-2017, he won three Grand Slams and twelve tour titles, proving that an athlete’s prime can be discovered even after turning thirty. Wawrinka has been an example of how athletes should never give up and keep fighting, no matter their age.
Wawrinka’s Grand Slam victories include the Australian Open (2014), French Open (2015), and US Open (2016), defeating the World No. 1 on all three occasions. He was in the shadows of the big three for a decade since he turned professional in 2002. His trademark one-handed backhand down the line is still as sharp as ever.
Past controversies of Stan Wawrinka
Wawrinka’s divorce from Ilham Vuilloud was an ugly affair. Vuilloud accused Wawrinka of betraying her emotionally and also his not being stable. She also said that he wanted to regain his freedom at all levels.
Wawrinka then started dating a few months after his ten-year relationship ended. Wawrinka was termed selfish as the public began speculating that his attitude changed after becoming a grand slam winner.
There were reports that he had begun dating Vekic a year before his divorce. The rumor was that Warinka had started dating Vekic when she was 17. Wawrinka has not dated anyone since breaking up with Vekic.
In 2015, Nick Kyrios had mentioned in a match against Wawrinka that Thanasi Kokkinakis was involved with Vekic. Wawrinka later confronted Kyrgios who later apologised for the statement. Vekic had criticized Kyrgios for damaging the image of the sport. She did not directly speak to him. Kyrgios was later fined for the incident.