French Open champion Stan Wawrinka expects Novak Djokovic to bounce back from his Roland Garros heartache by successfully defending the Wimbledon title.
Wawrinka handed Djokovic one of the most painful defeats of his career earlier this month when he denied the world No1 a career Grand Slam by defeating him in the final in Paris.
And, with Wimbledon getting underway later this month, Swiss world No4 Wawrinka was asked who he would back for the All England Club title other than himself.
And the 30-year-old made it clear he would put his money on defending champion Djokovic ahead of seven-time winner Roger Federer, 2013 champion Andy Murray and two-time winner Rafael Nadal.
MORE TENNIS NEWS
Rafael Nadal, ‘playing better than before’, unfazed by Queens defeat ahead of Wimbledon
Stan Wawrinka’s backhand shows an all-round game is not always preferable to one big weapon
Honesty is hurting Andy Murray in rivalry with Novak Djokovic
“Novak is No. 1. He’s been playing so well and especially this year,” Wawrinka told reporters at Queen’s Club following his second round defeat against Kevin Anderson on Wednesday.
“I’m sure after losing the French Open final he wants more, he wants to come back and win the next big one.
“So he won last year. We all know that when he’s playing his best tennis he’s really good.”
But Wawrinka refuses to rule out Federer and Murray.
“Even if Roger lost few matches this year, I’m sure he’s going to be ready for the grass,” said Wawrinka.
“Also, I think with him, with his confidence, if he can get through the first week or something, playing well, then he’s going to be tough to beat.
“And Andy because he loves grass, playing at home, already won Wimbledon. He’s playing really well this year.”
After winning two of the last six Grand Slam titles and reaching the last eight at Wimbledon for the first time last year, Wawrinka knows he cannot be written off either.
“I still think that I can play my best game on grass,” he said. “If I can play well at the beginning of Wimbledon, I can do a great job.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @NatSportUAE
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
Central%20Bank's%20push%20for%20a%20robust%20financial%20infrastructure
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ECBDC%20real-value%20pilot%20held%20with%20three%20partner%20institutions%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20buy%20now%2C%20pay%20later%20regulations%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20for%20the%202023%20launch%20of%20the%20domestic%20card%20initiative%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPhase%20one%20of%20the%20Financial%20Infrastructure%20Transformation%20(FiT)%20completed%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
