In 2014, Wawrinka was 28 years old when he stepped on to Rod Laver Arena for a quarterfinal againt defending champion Djokovic, the phenom who had defeated him on 14 consecutive occasions. Wawrinka’s epic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 victory didn’t just snap Djokovic’s 28-match winning streak, it also unleashed peak Wawrinka – the very best version of the powerhouse from Lausanne had arrived.
Wawrinka fired past Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final for his first major title, then carried that new-found swagger into Paris 15 months later, scoring another victory over peaking Djokovic in the final.
Djokovic was the force that held sway at the top of the sport, but hurricane Wawrinka blew through court Philippe-Chatrier, producing an earth-shattering 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory that etched him into the fabric of the Parisian Slam for eternity.