Wawrinka trains hard ahead of return in Rome

Sightings of Stan Wawrinka have been rare, until now. The three-time Grand Slam champion has been training on clay in Nyon, Switzerland, ahead of his planned return to the tour in Rome.

He was scheduled to play Madrid, but opted for more training days after a calf injury. If he needs more matches ahead of Roland Garros, where he won the title in 2014, the Swiss may ask for a wild card into the Geneva or Lyon (both are ATP 250 events).

As for his coaching team, Wawrinka has reunited with Magnus Norman, on a tentative basis.

Looking ahead, Wawrinka has made the choice to commit to the Gstaad Open, a clay ATP 250 event at the end of July. The 33-year-old has won 16 titles on every surface except grass, including winning each Slam once except for Wimbledon.

Wawrinka is ranked No. 25—his lowest ranking since 2012—and has played just four events this year after undergoing knee surgery last season. His best result in 2018 has been the semifinals of Sofia, and he hasn't played since retiring while down a set to then-world No. 193 Ilya Ivashka in Marseille in February.

The good news is that Wawrinka is back on court working hard and hopefully he'll get enough matches under his belt before Paris.