‘I Felt More Fulfilled’ – Stan Wawrinka on Defeating ‘Unbeatable’ Novak Djokovic at French Open Finals

Peaking during 2013-2016, Stan Wawrinka won all three of his Grand Slam titles during this phase. While the Swiss great first shined at the 2014 Australian Open, his next major win came at the 2015 Roland Garros, where he outplayed an in-form Novak Djokovic. Coming fresh from a loss to the Serbian in the semifinals of the 2015 Australian Open, the win in Paris came as one of the biggest wins for the Swiss.

Heading to the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, the 2-time quarterfinalist recently interacted with a media house. During the interaction, he recalled his blockbuster French Open clash against Djokovic.

The Parisian battle of Stan Wawrinka against Novak Djokovic

Coming fresh as a semifinalist in Rome and a quarterfinalist in Geneva, Stan Wawrinka entered the 2015 French Open as the 8th seed. Being in his prime, the then World No. 9 sailed over his opponents with complete ease. At the end of the second week, the Swiss star was in his first final at the French Open.

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Even though Wawrinka’s form was his point of confidence, he had one of the biggest challenges standing in front of him in the finals, Novak Djokovic. Recalling the thoughts prior to the match, Wawrinka said, “He (Djokovic) was No. 1 at the time — I think he’d won 28 matches in a row. Also, I was exhausted…” “So, I just told myself, this is the French Open. You have watched the last 20 finals, now you are here. Enjoy it,” he further added.

Recalling the match, Djokovic won the first set 4-6. In a Grand Slam final, where every point counts, Wawrinka suffered a 0-1 set trail. However, as per Wawrinka, despite the loss in the first set, he had a good feeling about his game.

The surreal moment of winning his first Roland Garros title

Recalling the final three sets, Stan Wawrinka asserted, “Over the next three sets I played the best tennis of my life. I was hitting shots not even I thought I could pull off.”

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Winning his first ever French Open was undoubtedly a special moment for Wawrinka. However, it rightly became bigger by the fact that he outplayed the best player in the world at that time. “Winning that final was so special…I felt more fulfilled. I had played the game of my life against a guy who was winning everything. I just felt … proud,” the 2015 French Open champion admitted.