Stan Wawrinka is commonly referred to as “Stan the Man” on tour, but he says he has another nickname which is actually preferable.
The Swiss tennis star says “Stanimal” is his favorite nickname, and it’s one he got thanks to Roger Federer.
“My favourite nickname? ‘Stanimal’ makes me laugh,” he told Le Journal du Dimanche.
“It conveys the aggressive dimension of my game — I put the physical into everything that I do, knowing that I can go the distance in long matches,” Wawrinka said.
“It’s Roger Federer who first came up with it on Twitter during the Australian Open in 2014. Sometimes he calls me that.”
Wawrinka is currently the No. 3-ranked man on tour after winning the French last year and reaching the semifinals at the US Open. He’s now looking to make it back-to-back French Open titles.
