Novak Djokovic joins tennis world in saluting Stan Wawrinka after 40-y/o veteran's strong message to critics telling him to retire

Novak Djokovic recently dropped a three-word reaction to Stan Wawrinka's strong message to critics asking him to retire. The 40-year-old recently wrapped up his Swiss Indoors campaign.

Wawrinka's latest appearance on the court was in the round of 16 of the Swiss Indoors, where he locked horns with Casper Ruud. The latter dominated the round, registering a 6-4, 7-6(7) win and advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Shortly after this loss, he penned a heartfelt message on Instagram, addressing his critics' suggestions to retire from the sport.

"PASSION - A strong liking, desire, or devotion to an activity. When I started playing tennis at 8 years old, it was just a game. Then it became my passion. My dream was to one day became a professional tennis player. I know that as an athlete, people like to think they know when it’s time for your to stop. People believe that when you get older ,when you don’t play at the same level , don’t have the same ranking or same result , you should stop."

Here is the full caption:

This message caught the attention of Djokovic, who reshared this post on his Instagram story and saluted Wawrinka with a three-word note that read:

"Stan The Man🙌🏻💪🏻🤩"

Djokovic’s Instagram story

One of Novak Djokovic's latest appearances on the court was during the Shanghai Masters, where he reached the semifinals but couldn't progress further after being defeated by Valentin Vacherot.

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Novak Djokovic made his feelings known about Jannik Sinner after their semifinal clash at Six Kings Slam

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner locked horns with each other in the semifinals of the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh on October 16. This clash was dominated by the Italian, who claimed the win in two straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, advancing to the finals against Carlos Alcaraz.

Following this loss against Sinner, the Serb sat for a media conversation, where he sang praises of his opponent, saying that the latter was too good for him on court.

"The love of the game and the passion are there. Excuse my language, but it's never pleasant when someone kicks your butt like that on the court. But it's incredible to be able to keep playing at a high level," said Novak Djokovic.

He added:

"Being top 5, top 10, it's nice. I'm doing my best with the body I have. I'm grateful for everything God has given me in life. It's been an incredible adventure and there's so much to celebrate."

The showdown between the two lasted for just an hour, and the 38-year-old credited Sinner's skills for the same, saying:

"I'm sorry you couldn't witness a slightly longer match today. It's his fault! Not mine. I tried to put pressure on him in the last game with the 0-15 point, but it didn't work."

Novak Djokovic recently issued an alarming injury update ahead of his semifinal round at the Shanghai Masters.

Edited by Mitali