Stan Wawrinka reacts to 8-year-old Japanese kid's single-handed backhand

Stan Wawrinka has gone gaga over the adorable video of an eight-year-old Japanese kid 'crushing' one-handed backhands, much like himself.

The 37-year-old is one of the few single-handers left in the men's game. Others in this very exclusive club include his illustrious compatriot Roger Federer, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Richard Gasquet, Feliciano Lopez and Denis Shapovalov, among others.

A formidable weapon in his arsenal, Wawrinka's backhand has helped him win three Majors and a Masters 1000 title over the years. Often hit flat and without a lot of top spin, it is a shot that can cause a lot of damage across surfaces.

In a video shared by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on their official Twitter handle, eight-year-old Yunosuke can be spotted hitting a few Wawrinka-like single-handed backhands in the middle of a practice session.

The three-time Grand Slam champion was also tagged in the post, and was asked to give his thoughts on the kid's technique. In response, the Swiss had nothing but admiration, replying back with a fire emoji to showcase his approval.

Meanwhile, Wawrinka is on the comeback trail from injury, missing most of last season. He's currently ranked just inside the top 300 -- a far cry from his career-best ranking of World No. 3, which he achieved eight years ago following his maiden Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open.

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Stan Wawrinka's career highlights and 2022 campaign

Stan Wawrinka has played only nine matches this season.

Stan Wawrinka is one of the few active men's players on the tour outside the Big-3 of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to have won Major titles.

Interestingly, all three of the 37-year-old's Grand Slam triumphs have come at the expense of one of the Big-3. At the 2014 Australian Open, he beat then three-time defending champion Djokovic in the semifinals before defeating Nadal in the title match.

A year later, at Roland Garros, Wawrinka beat Federer in the quarterfinals and beat Djokovic in the final to win his second Major title. Just over a year later, the 'other Swiss' was a Grand Slam winner again, outclassing Djokovic in the final at the US Open.

Wawrinka returned to the French Open final again in 2017, but lost to 14-time champion Nadal in straight sets. Unfortunately, his career has gone downhill after that due to a spate of injuries.

Returning after a year's layoff at the Marbella Challenger this season, Wawrinka lost in the first round to Elias Ymer. He suffered the same fate in the first round at Monte Carlo as well, a tournament he had previously won in 2014.

Wawrinka fared better at his next stop in Rome, winning two matches before losing to eventual winner Djokovic. Since then, he has won just one of his next five matches, including first-round exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.