"THE STANIMAL"

January 23, 2014. Stan Wawrinka beats Tomas Berdych in 4 sets to book a place in his first Grand Slam final against Rafael Nadal. A year after his heartbreaking defeat to Novak Djokovic, Stan The Man had a repeat of 2013’s showdown in the quarter-finals, but this time he came out on top on another epic five-set duel. He followed his dramatic win with a dominating performance against Czech Republic No. 1, before cruising to his first-ever Major title. Although Rafa was a bit hobbled by back problems in the deciding match of the tournament, Wawrinka’s level was too much for the Spaniard to handle. Playing the best tennis of his career at the 2014 Australian Open, the Swiss who lived in Roger Federer’s shadow throughout his entire career, was in the spotlight for the first time, deservedly so. The addition of Magnus Norman to Stan’s coaching staff proved to be an incredible boost to the player’s development, as he was lacking mental prowess in the big matches more than tennis ability. The coach made a 360’ flip to the Swiss’ career, making him a 3-time Grand Slam champion, as he meddled between the Big 4 dominance on the ATP Tour.

#OnThisDay in 2014.



Stan Wawrinka wins his first Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open, becoming the first man outside of the 'Big Four' to win a major since 2009.



Stanimal defeated Djokovic and Nadal en route to the title ???? pic.twitter.com/XqoG8vaVas — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2019

Fast forward to January 23, 2020, and you’ve got Stan qualified for the 3rd round of the Australian Open since 2017, much due to his injury problems, after defeating Andreas Seppi in a very tough five-setter. 6 years after his incredible run in Melbourne, how far can he go in this year’s edition? He’ll face John Isner in the 3rd round, a player who’s always dangerous because of his potent service. If he goes through him, Daniil Medvedev is the likely opponent waiting. And that’s where the real challenge starts. The currently No. 4 in the ATP rankings is starting to look like a real challenger to Grand Slam honours, as he almost netted his first one on the US Open last season, crumbling to Rafael Nadal on an epic match. Although he’s one level behind the level that granted him multiple Grand Slam titles, Stan is always a dangerous opponent when he reaches the later stages of a Major, as he improves match by match. You never know what’s coming with Stan results-wise, but one thing’s for sure. You’ll be entertained by probably the best backhand ever.