"I know the end of my career will come one day, but until then, I will always give my best fight" - Stan Wawrinka indicates primary reason why he still competes

Despite being 40-years-old, Stan Wawrinka has not yet come to the end of the road, with his tennis career still going strong. The three-time Grand slam champion may not be as competitive as he was, but his 'passion' for the sport has halted his retirement plans. This has been confirmed by a heartfelt message posted on social media.

He had recently competed in the Swiss Indoors, his home event. Entering as a wildcard, he picked up a popular first-round win over Miomir Kecmanovic before succumbing to defeat against the number four seed and three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud, losing out in a closely fought contest 6-4, 7-6(5).

He may not be touching the dizzying heights he once did, but that is of no concern for Wawrinka, whose love and passion for the sport keeps him competing at the highest level. He shared a powerful message on Instagram, sharing the reason on why he still loves to participate. The former world number three went on to share his gratitude with the passionate home fans in Basel who came out to support him, claiming that they meant 'the world' to him.

"PASSION - A strong liking, desire, or devotion to an activity," Wawrinka wrote. "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 you 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. As much as I’m a competitor, as much as I love to win, it’s not always about that. Passion is not always about the results - it’s about pushing your limits. I’m ok not to win a Grand Slam anymore. I’m ok with not being top 10 anymore. But I love the process of always pushing my own limits. I know the end of my career will come one day, but until then, I will always give my best fight. To all the fans around the world who support me, to the fans in Basel this week - THANK YOU - It means the world to me. That’s why I keep pushing myself."

This in-turn brought a variety of positive comments, which included: "You are an inspiration," "That’s why we’ll continue supporting you until the end. Merci Stan," and "We love that you are passionate! Keep pushing yourself!"

He may not be featuring in the biggest tournaments on offer or challenging the best players in the world, but that has not stopped Wawrinka from competing. He has played in a plethora of Challenger events this year, making a brace of finals in the French cities of Aix-en-Provence and Rennes, losing respectively to Borna Coric and Hugo Gaston.

He has appeared in two Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo and Shanghai but was unable to traverse past the opening round in either tournament. Along with that he took part in the Australian Open and Roland Garros, events that he had previously won back in 2014 and 2015. Unfortunately, he was defeated at the first hurdle.

With questions of retirement getting louder for the 40-year-old, Wawrinka has expressed his desire to continue in the sport he beloves. He has admitted that hopes of big titles and top 10 rankings are a distant memory, which does not matter to him. As long as he is able to push himself on the tennis court and challenge whoever is in front of him, Wawrinka will still feature in events around the globe.