“They are in a Different Category” – Stan Wawrinka Praises Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Former World No.3 Stan Wawrinka is one of the few players on the tour to defeat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic multiple times in his career. He was capable of giving a hard time to the ‘Big 3’ at his prime. The Swiss star knows what it takes to beat them. Hence, he explained the difficulties in facing the three Goliaths of the sport.

Wawrinka is the last man to win a Grand Slam title outside of the ‘Big 3’. Moreover, he is the only player after Roger Federer to defeat Nadal and Djokovic in a Grand Slam final.  However, he admitted that beating them multiple times does not make him similar to them. Moreover, the 3-time Grand Slam winner dropped huge praise for Djokovic and Nadal.

Novak is the one in the Big Three that I like to play the most – Stan Wawrinka

Wawrinka explained that Nadal’s serve is very underrated and he finds it difficult to return those serves. Furthermore, the heavy spin on it makes it further difficult to return on the clay. Wawrinka has lost 8 of their 9 encounters on the clay court with all those defeats coming in straight sets

“I have difficulties to return the ball well because of the spin he hits and the lefty serve. He doesn’t have the best service, but he makes it difficult for me and always puts me directly under pressure. On clay, it’s impossible. Forget it,” Wawrinka said in the Instagram live with Chris Evert.

“Novak is the one in the Big Three that I like to play the most, even if I’ve lost to him many times. I play the best against him and have been lucky to peak against him in Grand Slams. I feel like I can keep my power with him for three, four, or five hours. Those three times I beat him, I kept playing my game,” he added.

“But even after beating Rafa or Novak, they’re still way better than me. They’re still in a different category than me. I beat them one time here or there, but I know it’s a different league,” Wawrinka concluded.

Read More: Stan Wawrinka Picks the Toughest Player to Beat at Prime Amongst ‘Big 3’

Stan might have managed to defeat the ‘Big 3’ during his prime. However, he lacks the consistency which Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have from the past decade and a half. Hence, the trio is certainly in a different league than Wawrinka.