In the third round of this year’s US Open, Stanislas Wawrinka faced match point against Britain’s Dan Evans in the fourth set tie-break. After the match, he would tell journalists that he was on the verge of what would have been a crushing loss to cap what had so far turned out to be a mediocre year. But in the next few moments, he put away a volley at the net, managed to secure the tie-break, and then the match. Perhaps that was the moment Stan the Man realized that 2016 could be salvaged after all.
When the tournament began, very few people gave Wawrinka a shot at the title. He was drawn to face Spain’s Fernando Verdasco in the first round, a hurdle many of us thought he might not get past. He was in the same quarter as Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro, who had beaten him in the third round at Wimbledon. His results coming into New York were not great. Despite now being the top-ranked player from Switzerland, Wawrinka seemed like an outside bet for the title, behind the likes of Milos Raonic, Del Potro, Kei Nishikori, and of course, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Djokovic undone by lack of match practice
Before the final, despite the 19-4 head to head advantage Djokovic held against his opponent, the world No. 1 understood just how big a threat the Swiss posed. Twice before in Grand Slams, Wawrinka had beaten Djokovic. The first time was in the quarter-finals of the 2014 Australian Open, where Wawrinka stunned the tennis world by beating the Serb 9-7 in an epic five setter. The second time was the 2015 French Open final where Wawrinka beat Djokovic in four sets to deny him a career slam, a result that reduced Djokovic to tears during the trophy presentation. Keep in mind that Wawrinka scored these victories during an era when Djokovic has been considered almost invincible.
In addition, Djokovic came into the Open with insufficient match practice and a lingering wrist injury that left him sounding unsure about his chances. At the beginning of the tournament, he hoped to get through his early rounds. Djokovic got lucky. Two of his opponents retired during their matches, and one defaulted before the match started. As a result, Djokovic played only 13 complete sets of tennis as opposed to 24 by Wawrinka.
While some might argue the relatively easy path to the final helped Djokovic get some rest, on the other hand, he was short of match practice by the time he got there. To add to his woes, in the semi-final against Gael Monfils, played under intensely hot and humid conditions, Djokovic called the trainer to massage a sore shoulder. A thirteenth Grand Slam title and a third US Open trophy against one of the most powerful hitters in the world was not going to be easy.
The Stanimal
There is a reason why the man from Switzerland is called The Stanimal. At 31, he is in the best shape of his career, and is able to wear down opponents with ruthless ball striking. A late bloomer who won his first major at 28, Wawrinka is widely recognised as having the best backhand in the world. Unleashed in full force, it is a thing of beauty.
Wawrinka began the US Open final a bit slow, going down 2-5 fairly quickly. But he clawed his way back to a tie-break. Even though he lost that first set, it was evident by its end that the match would be very competitive. After Djokovic lost the next two sets, his lack of fitness, a concern he had referenced two weeks ago, became more and more apparent.
The most dramatic – and controversial – moment came in the middle of the fourth set when Djokovic suddenly appeared to be cramping. Since players are not allowed to call the trainer for cramps, occasionally they resort to tweaking the rules and pretend to have a different injury for which they need a medical time out. Djokovic appeared to use this ploy, creating a six-minute delay during which he got looked after and Wawrinka hopped around, trying to stay warm.
Remarkable mental composure
Off court, unlike that of his more famous compatriot, Wawrinka’s life has not been free of controversy. In November 2014, at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, Wawrinka and Roger Federer reportedly had a pretty intense row in the gym of the O2 arena. This was attributed to the fact that during their match Federer’s wife Mirka had cheered for her husband so vociferously that Wawrinka complained.
The following year, weeks before his French Open victory, Wawrinka’s divorce made headlines. The Swiss player announced his split from his wife Ilham Vuilloudon on his Facebook page, blaming it on the demands of his career, only to be publicly contradicted by Ilham, who blamed the split on his “repeated lies” and “breach of faith”.
On Sunday night, Wawrinka showed remarkable composure and grace under pressure. Wawrinka’s trademark gesture when he wins a big point is to point a finger at his temple, an acknowledgement of his mental strength, an attribute that he did not always have. Refusing to lose focus when faced with a bit of gamesmanship by his opponent, he efficiently closed out the match to win his eleventh straight final, thus proving that he is indeed a phenomenal big-stage player.
Afterwards, he exchanged a warm embrace with friend and occasional practice partner, Djokovic. During the trophy presentation he revealed a gentle and thoughtful side, first by paying a tearful tribute to his opponent when he said, “You’re a great champion, a great person. Because of you, I am where I am today”, and then by acknowledging the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11 in New York.
He also pointed out in his speech that he never really thought he would win majors or be No. 1. Instead, he said, “I just wanted to be the best I could be.” For years, Stan the Man has stood under the shadow of Roger Federer. Now, at No. 3 in the world, he stands just one Wimbledon title away from a career slam.