Stan Wawrinka is still playing tennis, and although he’s past his best, he is a serial Grand Slam winner.
At the weekend, Wawrinka was beaten in the final of an event on the Challenger Tour, and it’s clear that he’s not ready to pack the rackets away for the final time just yet.
In an era where the Big Three dominated Grand Slam honours boards between them, Wawrinka managed to collect three major titles.
Novak Djokovic has some kind words for Wawrinka after losing to the Swiss player in the 2016 US Open final, and that sparked a debate of sorts.
Many felt at the time that Andy Murray had already joined the Big Three to make it a Big Four, whilst the media asked Djokovic whether Wawrinka should make it a Big Five.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic’s verdict on Stan Wawrinka in 2016
It’s quite remarkable to think that once upon a time, Djokovic was beatable at Grand Slam tournaments, given that he’s won 23 of them.
However, that’s what happened in 2016 when Wawrinka came from behind to beat the Serbian legend in four sets to claim his third Grand Slam title.
Afterwards, Djokovic shared his opinion on whether Wawrinka should be considered as part of a Big Five.
He said: “Well, I mean, he deserves to be in the mix, no doubt about it. Stan won three Grand Slams now and three different ones; an Olympic medal. Been around for so many years, and he plays best in the big matches.
“I mean, he definitely deserves to be mentioned in the mix of top players.
“He loves to play in the big matches. He comes up with his best game. He’s so solid from both corners. He’s got a good slice and an amazing one-handed backhand, all corners. Big serve. Moves well.
“He’s a very complete player. Sometimes, if he feels right, he doesn’t miss much and makes a lot of winners, and it’s hard to play him. That’s what happened today. And that’s it.”
Wawrinka part of the elite group
When it comes to Wawrinka – and Murray – they have to be considered truly great players just because of the era they played in.
With Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic all winning at least 20 majors, it made it almost impossible for others to weigh in.
Murray and Wawrinka winning three Grand Slams each is pretty special considering the competition they had for the trophies in their pomp.
Djokovic knew he’d been in a match at the US Open in 2016 and for neutral tennis fans it was great to see someone outside of the big three collect another major title.