By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_now | Thursday, April 24, 2025
Photo Credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Facebook
King Grand Slam Novak Djokovic has defeated iconic champions in the largest stages of the game.
The Serbian superstar quotes a large Slam champion which has raised the stars as perhaps the most underestimated player of his generation: Stan wawinka.
Speaking to the media in his open oppressor Mutua Madrid Open, Gjokovic was asked to reflect on the 10th anniversary of Wawrinka’s famous boredom with four groups of world no. 1 in the final of Roland Garros 2015.
Gjokovic praised his former practice partner as “an extraordinary player” who is “very underestimated in discussions”.
“(Stan is) an extraordinary player, someone I really admire as a person too. I think he is very underestimated in discussions,” Djokovic told Madrid media today. “He has won (double) the Olympics of the Gold Medal, he has won three Grand Slams, and, yes, only an amazing career.
“He is 40 years old, with God knows how many knees on his knees and everything, and he is still pushing, still entering, still coming to the beginning of the tournament. Having appeared, one of the first people to appear in the club, and practices early, and does everything he has to do, even more.
While Tennis fans-and many other players-cherish the brilliant stan of a brilliant man like his biggest weapon. Gjokovic says Switzerland’s bold resistance to return from numerous operations – and his pure passion for play – are two of his biggest qualities.
“I really admire it and Andy (Murray) as well as for that, you know, going to the Challenger level, trying to build your ranking, trying to get matches,” Gjokovic said. “You know, I never, I don’t want to say, I never did it. I have never been in the position I need, in the hope that I don’t need, to build the ranking again to go to the Challenger level.
“But I really admire this. It says a lot about the spirit and the championary mentality that these people have.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2MHLX9WK9M
Seeing again that Franch Open 2015 final, Gjokovic said initially he was pleased that he did not have to face the King of Clay Rafa Nadal in the final – until Wawrrinka began to destroy winners throughout the court.
Expressing the calm protection and destructive power, Wawrinka threw a wave of the stunning shine of the highest seed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to convene his first championship Roland Garros and denies Grand Slam career in 2015.
In retrospect, Gjokovic joked Wawrinka “stole” that Roland Garros ended up while wearing the most fun shorts in the latest Era Major Open – a fact that Serbs say they still talk about this day.
“That was, you know, one of the hardest losses for me because by that time I still didn’t win Roland Garros, and that was, I don’t know which final to me already,” Djokovic said today. “And I thought, I’m not playing Rafa for a change in the finals, and I, you know, I liked my chances to win my first French Open title.
“But then Stan stole him from me, and he played an extraordinary tennis. We still joke saying why he played so well is because of the shorts. I don’t know how many of you remember the famous shorts he was wearing, and he came with the post of post -pants press and I am really smiling. I make jokes. ”
In general, Gjokovic has had the latest laughter in rivalry, winning 21 of their 26 meetings, however a year after this rarity Roland Garros Wawrrinka again rocked Djokovic in a four -set 2016 US Open final. He triumph won Wawrko his Monitor “Stan the Man” from New York City newspapers.
In a physically required duel, Wawrinka destroyed Gjokovic, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3, to capture his first championship in the US Open in a three-hour noise, 55 minutes.
“There is no secret. If you want to defeat the number 1 player in the world, you have to give everything,” said Wawrrinka, who collected the $ 3.5m champion check, then said. “As I said another day, you have to agree to suffer and you almost have to enjoy suffering. Because I think this Grand Slam was the most painful, physically and mentally, Grand Slam I have ever played.”
In front of a 25.051 fans vocal crowd, 31-year-old Swiss became Open Open’s oldest champion since a 35-year-old Ken Rosewall captured the US 1970 open championship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7LHLHAY5TM
Wawrinka said he was so nervous before we opened the final, he was trembling and was crying in the closet room a few minutes before leaving the Arthur Asle Stadium.
“Today, before the final, I was really nervous like never before. I was shaking in the locker,” Wawrinka said. “When we start five minutes before we talk, the last things with (coach) Magnus (Norman), I started crying. I was completely swinging. But the only thing I convinced with myself that my game was there.
“Physically I was there. My game was there. Put the war in court and you will have a chance to win. And that’s what happens after a few matches when I start to believe in myself, I started being in the match. I just focused on the match, not what can happen if I win.
“Is the final of the US?
Asked how he was able to compose himself and play such a strong match after a tearful breakdown, Wawrinka offered a simple answer.
“I had to unite my shit,” replied a smiling Wawrrinka, evoking laughter from the media at his post -match press conference. “Sorry. That’s what I say.”
