Stan Wawrinka is aiming to launch his return on Rome's red clay—and a familiar face is aiding his comeback effort.
The 2015 Roland Garros champion has been conducting a two-week training block with former coach Magnus Norman.
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Wawrinka said he opted to skip next week's Mutua Madrid Masters for precautionary reasons as he continues to work on his fitness following a pair of knee surgeries last season.
"I gave up Madrid next week for sheer precaution," Wawrinka told the Swiss media in comments published by La Tribune de Genève. "I lost 10 days of training due to a calf injury. Now I'm on a two-week training block with the help of Magnus Norman. My goal remains to return to my best level. I think I can do it in the long run. I train 100 percent. The knee is holding. I am convinced to see the (light at the) end of the tunnel."
The three-time Grand Slam champion said depending on how he feels after Rome, he could request a wild card into Geneva where he is defending champion. The Geneva Open is contested a week before Roland Garros.
"I'm not registered anywhere after Rome," Wawrinka told Swiss media. "If I need to play games, I can ask for a wild card in Geneva or Lyon."
The 33-year-old Wawrinka, who continues to work on his fitness with physio Pierre Paganini, underwent two left knee surgeries last year.
"The first surgery was arthroscopy to have a look at the problem and the second one was to reconstruct the cartilage," Wawrinka said prior to the 2018 Australian Open. "It was very difficult and tough, a big surgery. I needed crutches for eight weeks and lost a lot of muscles because of that."
Since bowing to Rafael Nadal in the 2017 Roland Garros final, Wawrinka has been limited to nine matches while trying to regain strength and stability in his knee.
Photo credit: Roland Garros Facebook