Will Stan Wawrinka be a one slam wonder?
Will Stan Wawrinka be a one slam wonder?
After his victory at the Rotterdam 500 tournament, Stan Wawrinka is back to lifting titles, coming from a set down to defeat Thomas Berdych. It completes an impressive collection of titles for the Swiss number two, whose trophy cabinet is now populated by trophies from all tiers of the ATP circuit.
Wawrinka’s backhand can be devastating at times, with a combination of consistent depth, power and unrivalled placement
Alongside ATP 250,ATP 500 and Masters 1000 titles, Wawrinka opened his Grand Slam account at the 2014 Australian Open and rounded of the best year of his career with victory in the Davis Cup alongside Roger Federer. Federer also partnered Warwinka when the duo won Olympic Gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
It is a list of titles that makes for impressive reading for the 29 year old, who turns 30 in March. His victory saw him climb back up the rankings to seventh, as well as ascending the Lob and Smash Power Rankings to the heady heights of number two.
Style of Play
When Wawrinka’s game is on, even the Big Four find him too hot to handle. His backhand can be devastating at times, with a combination of consistent depth, power and unrivalled placement forcing opponents to go on the defensive.
Aug 27, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Stan Wawrinka (SUI) celebrates recording match point in his match against Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) on day three of the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
He has certainly improved as a front-runner in matches, looking more comfortable as the aggressor in big matches. His most prominent wins against the Big Four began with building a strong record against Andy Murray, who Wawrinka attacked incessantly when they met in Grand Slams.
This attitude has translated to posing more problems for Novak Djokovic, with the two men having contested three consecutive five set matches in the last three Australian Opens. The middle of these three titanic battles came at the quarter final stage in 2014.
It was a classic match that concluded at 9-7 in the fifth and represented a turning point for Wawrinka. Emerging players have struggled to make an impact in Grand Slams in recent years, coming unstuck against one of the Big Four at the quarter final stage, so this win was huge for Wawrinka.
He was able to continue this attacking brand of tennis for the rest of the tournament, beating Nadal in the final. It immediately sparked talk of what Wawrinka could go on to achieve in the sport, especially given that compatriot Federer is still playing at the top of the men’s game at the age of 33.
However, Wawrinka’s form has since followed a somewhat predictable pattern for maiden Grand Slam winners. Whether it is question of decreased motivation or any other potential factor, there is a trend for players to experience a lull after their initial breakout.
One Time Winners
26 men are 0ne-time Grand Slam winners in the Open Era and Wawrinka looks like he could be painted with the same brush as the ‘one slam wonders.’ He, along with Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic, are the only three active players in this exclusive group.
| Player | AUS | ROL | WIM | US | TOT | |
| 1 | Brian Teacher | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Mark Edmondson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Petr Korda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Roscoe Tanner | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Stan Wawrinka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Thomas Johansson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Vitas Gerulaitis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Vivian McGrath | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
One-time Grand Slam winners at the Australian Open. *Denotes current player.
Wawrinka will be content that his place is the record books is secure, but a glance over the one-time winners of the Australian Open since 1968 shows that his legacy is by no means guaranteed. He will be acutely aware that were his career to end tomorrow, he would have missed out on the argument of being one of the greats of the game.
Shortcomings
Ultimately I think that Wawrinka isn’t a big time player and that will hinder his chances at winning another Grand Slam. This may seem like a harsh criticism to level of a Grand Slam and Davis Cup winner, but I in my opinion his natural ability carried him to these titles.
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He is a man who has words of Samuel Beckett tattooed on his left forearm: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail Better.” Clearly a source of strong motivation, Wawrinka felt he could relate having been placed in an Era with Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray.
In his own words, with those guys around, “you don’t win so many tournaments and you always lose.” He doesn’t have the mentality to join that elite group, he clearly doesn’t feel like he belongs. Interestingly, the tattoo and subsequent explanation was made before his Australian Open win in 2014.
Perhaps his bleak, albeit at the time realistic analysis of the landscape of the men’s game was premature. Had he truly had the belief he could succeed at the highest level earlier in his career, Wawrinka’s ability could have helped him lift multiple Grand Slams. Sadly for Stan, I think he will stay stranded on one, although that is nothing to be ashamed of.
Verdict: One Grand Slam
Next: Lob and Smash 2015 Grand Slam Predictions
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