Stanislas Wawrinka is not here this week, taking a well-earned break after his magical two weeks in Melbourne last month and Davis Cup duty in the following week. His presence, however, is still being felt at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Novak Djokovic, the world No 2 and defending champion, was talking about him on Sunday, saying he had lost “to the better player” in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. The five-set defeat brought the Serb’s 28-match winning streak to an end and prevented him from capturing a record fifth Australian Open. And it was his earliest exit in 15 grand slams.
Roger Federer was also praising his fellow Swiss and good friend, happy Wawrinka finally translated his potential into slam success.
But clearly, his biggest cheerleaders are the second-tier players in men’s tennis, those who have struggled for attention under the reign of the Big Four – Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and Federer.
“He has given hope to the tennis world,” Juan Martin del Potro said.
Del Potro won the 2009 US Open to break the reign of terror of Federer and Nadal, who shared 17 of the previous 18 grand slam titles, with Djokovic as the only other winner.
Since then, Djokovic has won five more and Andy Murray’s success at the 2012 US Open and Wimbledon last year has extended that elite club to four. Before Wawrinka’s upset at the Australian Open, that quartet had won 34 of the last 35 slam titles.
“It’s nice to see other names winning the grand slams for the tennis world and the tennis people, and not the same guys as always,” Del Potro said.
“Djokovic, Federer and Nadal deserve to win, but if you have different players winning the grand slams, it’s more important for tennis.
“After Wawrinka won the Australian Open, the rest of the players now believe more than in the past, and we just have to wait for our moment, like I did in 2009 when I played in the US Open.”
Del Potro was 21 when he won his slam title, but Wawrinka had to wait much longer for his opportunity.
Winner of the 2003 French Open junior crown, he had not even won a Masters-level event, much less a major, before his memorable run in Melbourne.
Wawrinka had been to 35 grand slams, and the five-set loss to Djokovic in the 2013 US Open semis was previously his best performance. Now 28, he is the oldest first-time grand slam champion since Goran Ivanisevic, who was 29 when took the 2001 Wimbledon crown. And only Ivanisevic had more grand slam appearances (48) before winning his first major.
Tomas Berdych, the world No 6, is five months younger than Wawrinka and his career has also been spent in the shadows of the Big Four. In 42 grand slam appearances, the Czech has reached the semis or better at all four majors. He made it to the final of the 2010 Wimbledon, defeating Federer in the quarters and Djokovic in the semis, but then lost to Nadal.
Beating Djokovic and Nadal in the same grand slam is not an easy task and no man had achieved that feat until Wawrinka in Melbourne. The Swiss’ success, then, is a huge inspiration for Berdych.
“It’s a good sign that Stan did it,” said Berdych, who ended a 16-month title drought at Rotterdam last week. “He just proved that it’s possible. Yes, it’s very tough, very difficult, but in the end, it’s possible. It shows other people they can do it as well. So let’s see and let’s wait till the next slam.”
Berdych knows that unseating Nadal, the “King of Clay”, from his Roland Garros throne is an onerous, if not impossible, task. Even Federer in his prime could not achieve that, losing four finals. Starting with the first of his eight French Open crowns in 2005, Nadal has played 60 matches at the year’s second grand slam and lost just once – to Robin Soderling in the 2009 fourth round.
“I think the favourites are still the same names as always,” said Del Potro. “The next one is the French Open on clay courts and Rafa will be the favourite. If he doesn’t win, the tournament, then you have Djokovic, who’s playing great on clay.”
The world will watch to see whether Wawrinka was a one-off.
“It’s not many that they share with us, so let’s see,” Berdych said. “This is basically the longest period between the slams, so many things could happen. We could close the gap on them or they might improve their game further.
“Many things could happen, so let’s wait and see what happens in Paris. But it’s a good sign. Stan has shown it is possible to do it. It basically gives you the strength to go and compete for it.”
And if Wawrinka’s heroics are not enough, the words from Samuel Beckett’s novella Worstward Ho, tattooed on the Swiss’ left forearm, might just do the trick: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better”.
It worked for Stan the Man. Now let’s see if his peers can take the baton and run with it.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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