For the second time in two years, Stanislas Wawrinka defeated the top two ranked players en route to winning a Grand Slam. Wawrinka defeated number one ranked Novak Djokovic to win his first French Open title 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. The victory denied the world’s top ranked player from completing the career Grand Slam.
The loss was devastating for Novak Djokovic, as after so many years of losing he finally defeated the reigning nine-time champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals in straight sets. In the semi-final he faced a second member of the Big Four in Andy Murray in a five-set match that took two days to complete due to time and inclement weather. Riding a 28-match win streak, it appeared that it was finally time for the world’s best player to add the only Grand Slam trophy missing from his case.
Wawrinka is only the third French Open champion in the last decade.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that “Stan the Man” has denied a player from claiming a historic victory. Last year at the Australian Open, Wawrinka defeated both Djokovic and Nadal to win his first Grand Slam title. The latter was denied the chance to win his second consecutive Grand Slam and second Australian Open trophy. In similar fashion, Wawrinka was written off by many to stop the “Djoker” from claiming the title for the first time. Just as had happened in Australia however, the Swiss played the best tennis match of his career to defeat the world’s best player in four sets. If symmetry is any indication, Wawrinka was seeded eighth here at the French Open and he was seeded eighth when he won in Melbourne.
The first set saw a determined Djokovic come out aggressively as Wawrinka had trouble finding his rhythm, something he commented on to analyst John McEnroe after the game. The Serbian came out and took the first set 6-4, making Wawrinka’s victory all the more impressive as historically the player who wins the first set in a Grand Slam final tends to go on to win the title.
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In the second set however Wawrinka raised his game to the next level and Djokovic for all his talents didn’t seem able to keep up with him. In a set filled with long rallies, the usually superiorly conditioned Serb looked worn out in exchanges. A big reason for that was the amazing backhand from Wawrinka that was simply on point throughout the match and gave the world number-one trouble. The most jaw-dropping shot of the match was the backhand that Wawrinka hit that wrapped around the net post and landed within the lines for a clean winner that left everyone stunned. Riding the success of his backhand, Wawrinka hit twice as many winners at 60-30.
The fourth set saw Djokovic attempt a final push for the title as he broke Wawrinka to win the first three games. Wawrinka however would go on to win the last six of seven games, using his backhand to get the break at 5-4 that inevitably sealed the fate of Djokovic. Although the Serbian was able to hold off one championship point, Wawrinka prevailed to win his second grand slam title.
Jun 7, 2015; Paris, France; Novak Djokovic (SRB) receives his finalist trophy from FFT president Jean Gachassin (R) after his match against Stan Wawrinka (SUI) on day 15 of the 2015 French Open at Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
Both players displayed great class at the net as Wawrinka embraced Djokovic for a long moment before shaking hands with the umpire. During the trophy presentation, Djokovic was met with a prolonged ovation from the crowd that brought him to tears as he was acknowledged for the incredible tournament he played and understanding of how much he wanted to win at Roland Garros.
Still, it was Stan who hoisted the Coupe des Mousquetaires (“The Musketeers Cup”) and received a champions ovation from the crowd. The win is a big win for Stan who also defeated second-ranked countrymen Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. While he did not have to face the “King of Clay” for the title, the Swiss put on a commanding performance in the final that left no doubt of his victory. The victory also makes him only the third person to hoist the trophy in the last decade.
For both players, the grass court season now awaits as Wimbledon is set to begin in two weeks. Djokovic will enter the tournament as the number one seed while Wawrinka’s world-ranking jumps to number four with his victory.