<p>Stan Wawrinka will make his return to Tour-level competition later on Monday after spending more than a year on the sidelines due to injury and the 37-year-old said there were times when he had doubts about his future in the game.</p>.<p>After suffering a foot injury early in 2021, Wawrinka had surgery in March that year but needed a second operation three months later.</p>.<p>The Swiss, who made his comeback at a Challenger Tour event in Marbella last month, losing in the opening round, said there were times he thought he might never compete again.</p>.<p>"Of course, there were those questions in my mind," said Wawrinka, who faces Alexander Bublik in the first round of the claycourt tournament in Monte Carlo.</p>.<p>"I was afraid things wouldn't happen the way I wanted them to happen, and when you have those difficult times and those doubts, you know you need to go through rehab to be able to live a normal daily life anyway. So in my mind, one way or the other, I knew I would want to come back. Maybe saying goodbye, having pain would be an option, but for the time being things are going well."</p>.<p>Three-times Grand Slam champion Wawrinka, who has slipped to 236th in the rankings, said his road to recovery was "very long and difficult".</p>.<p>"I thought I would be (out) only a few weeks," he added. "It lasted a whole year with many moments of doubts.</p>.<p>"My level is pretty good in practice, but I need to find my game during matches ... try to do the right things and practise a lot and stay positive, even if sometimes I feel very frustrated because I can see what I need to do and I can't do it." </p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>Stan Wawrinka will make his return to Tour-level competition later on Monday after spending more than a year on the sidelines due to injury and the 37-year-old said there were times when he had doubts about his future in the game.</p>.<p>After suffering a foot injury early in 2021, Wawrinka had surgery in March that year but needed a second operation three months later.</p>.<p>The Swiss, who made his comeback at a Challenger Tour event in Marbella last month, losing in the opening round, said there were times he thought he might never compete again.</p>.<p>"Of course, there were those questions in my mind," said Wawrinka, who faces Alexander Bublik in the first round of the claycourt tournament in Monte Carlo.</p>.<p>"I was afraid things wouldn't happen the way I wanted them to happen, and when you have those difficult times and those doubts, you know you need to go through rehab to be able to live a normal daily life anyway. So in my mind, one way or the other, I knew I would want to come back. Maybe saying goodbye, having pain would be an option, but for the time being things are going well."</p>.<p>Three-times Grand Slam champion Wawrinka, who has slipped to 236th in the rankings, said his road to recovery was "very long and difficult".</p>.<p>"I thought I would be (out) only a few weeks," he added. "It lasted a whole year with many moments of doubts.</p>.<p>"My level is pretty good in practice, but I need to find my game during matches ... try to do the right things and practise a lot and stay positive, even if sometimes I feel very frustrated because I can see what I need to do and I can't do it." </p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>