"I will enjoy if I don't get killed" - Stan Wawrinka on Wimbledon clash against 'amazing champion' Novak Djokovic

Stan Wawrinka demonstrated his enduring class by defeating 29th-seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Thursday (July 6) to secure his spot in the third round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Wawrinka, despite nearing the end of his illustrious career, outperformed a player 15 years younger than him and emerged victorious on a sunny court three with a scoreline of 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Wawrinka will face defending champion Novak Djokovic in the next round. The two players famously met in the 2015 French Open final, with Wawrinka winning and extending the "big four" to a "big five."

Stan Wawrinka joked about his upcoming clash with the Serb during his on-court interview, saying he hopes he doesn't get killed. He added that since he and Djokovic have never played on grass, he is "quite happy" to face his old rival at Wimbledon at least once before retirement.

"I will enjoy if I don't get killed, but of course, he has been an amazing champion to watch like the way he is playing is always special. Yeah, we never play on grass and I’m quite happy to have the chance to play against him on grass at least one time before I finish playing," Wawrinka said.

The three-time Grand Slam champion then expressed his desire to compete at his high level, saying that he will try to push to the limit against Novak Djokovic like old times.

"It’s going to be a big challenge. Hopefully, I can play a high level and be competitive. I’m going to, like I always did against him, try to push to the maximum and we will see what happens," Stan Wawrinka added.

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"Stan Wawrinka took away two Grand Slams from me, that's the role he played in my career" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic pictured at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Novak Djokovic attended a press conference following his second-round victory over Jordan Thompson, where he discussed his upcoming match against Stan Wawrinka.

Djokovic joked that Wawrinka robbed him of two Grand Slam titles before praising the 38-year-old for still going strong on the tour.

"Well, he took away two Grand Slams from me. That's the role he played [in my career], beating me in two Grand Slam finals (smiling). No, I like Stan a lot. He's a great person. Really always inspirational what he's doing at his age. He's almost 40 years old and he still keeps going strong. That's something that not many people can do," Djokovic said.

The Serb continued:

"After several surgeries of his knees, he keeps going strong and trying to create some more history for himself and tennis. We cannot forget that he's a three-time Grand Slam champion and Davis Cup winner and also Olympic gold. He had a fantastic career."