Stan Wawrinka: The Match That Changed Everything | Turning Points

Описание: Stan Wawrinka: The Match That Changed Everything | Turning Points

For much of his career, Stan Wawrinka was seen as a dangerous outsider — a gifted shot-maker with one of the most powerful backhands the game has ever seen. His heavy groundstrokes, fearless shot selection, and ability to hit winners from anywhere on the court made him a threat to anyone.

By the time the 2014 Australian Open quarterfinals arrived, Wawrinka was finally making his move. He had just won the season-opening tournament in Chennai and climbed to number eight in the world — the stage was set for something big.

But then he was about to face Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

Everyone expected it to be an entertaining thriller, but a Wawrinka victory seemed impossible.

Why? You might ask yourself.
To answer this question, let’s turn back the clock.

For years, Wawrinka had been knocking on the door at Grand Slam level — always just short of breaking through. At the 2013 Australian Open, he pushed Djokovic to the absolute limit in a breathtaking five-set battle, throwing everything he had at the world number one. In the end, Djokovic survived 12-10 in the fifth set. It was one of the greatest matches ever played in Melbourne — yet once again, Stan left empty-handed.

Later that year, at the US Open, the two met again — this time in the semifinals. Once again, Wawrinka had his chances, but once again, Djokovic prevailed in another five-set duel.

The story was always the same: brilliant performances, but just not enough to topple the very best.

And against Djokovic in particular, the numbers were brutal. Heading into Melbourne 2014, Wawrinka had lost 14 straight matches against him. "The Joker" had also won the Australian Open three times in a row — his last defeat down under? Back in 2010.

And here we are, back at the beginning of our story. Now you know why almost nobody believed Wawrinka could pull off the upset.

But this time something was different.

In a dramatic five-set war, Wawrinka finally broke through. Four hours on Rod Laver Arena ended with the defending champion, world number two, and four-time Australian Open winner toppled. This was the win that changed everything.

And Wawrinka didn’t stop there. In the semifinals, he beat world number seven Tomas Berdych to reach his first Grand Slam final. There he met the biggest obstacle there was at the time: World Number One Rafael Nadal, who had just won Roland Garros and the US Open the year before.

In the final Wawrinka played at an unbelievable level. After Rafa got injured, he had no chance anymore. The Swiss won his first Grand Slam trophy.

That meant Wawrinka’s very first Major came by beating two members of the Big Three in the same tournament.

From that night on, he was no longer just an outsider. He was "Stan The Man" and the new number three in the world.

2015 was supposed to be Novak Djokovic’s year in Paris. He had finally conquered his greatest obstacle — beating Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros for the very first time. The trophy that had always eluded him seemed inevitable.

But then came Stan Wawrinka.
First, he dismantled Roger Federer in the quarterfinals.
Then, in the final, he faced Djokovic — who looked destined for history, one win away from completing the career Grand Slam.

But Wawrinka crushed that dream.
In four sets, with fearless baseline winners and ice-cold nerve, he stunned the tennis world once again. A victory that wasn’t just an upset — it was a denial of history itself. For the second time, "Stan The Man" had beaten two of "The Big Three" en route to a Grand Slam victory.

The final chapter of Wawrinka’s rise took place at the US Open in 2016. His run nearly ended early — he even faced match points against Dan Evans in the third round. But he survived, and grew stronger with every round.

In the final, it was Novak Djokovic again. And once again, Wawrinka rose to the occasion. In four sets, he outlasted the world number one to capture the US Open trophy.

By the end of 2016, Wawrinka had become a three-time Grand Slam champion. He rose as high as world number three in the rankings — breaking into a space that had been almost completely dominated by Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray since 2008.

And most impressively: in each of his three Slam victories, he defeated a member of the Big Three in the final. Twice, he even beat two of them en route to the title.

From nearly-man to three-time Grand Slam champion, Wawrinka’s transformation began with that one night in Melbourne — a match that truly changed everything.