The career of three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka is underestimated at times, according to his mentor Magnus Norman.
Norman, who is a former world No.2 player himself, says Wawrinka’s achievements have been overshadowed due to playing in the Era of the Big Four. A group consisting of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Since 2004 Wawrinka is the only player outside of the quartet to have won multiple major titles at three different tournaments. Overall, he has won 16 ATP titles and claimed 57 wins over top 10 players so far in his career.
“Stan is one of the best players to ever play the game, if you look at his record, if you look at winning three Grand Slams, winning three different Grand Slams in the era where he had the Big Four playing,” Norman told ATP Tennis Radio.
“He’s a little bit underestimated for sure … He’s had an unbelievable career.”
Despite his various accolades that also include an Olympic gold medal and Davis Cup title, the 35-year-old hasn’t been inside the top 10 since January 2018. The year prior he closed his season early to have a knee operation and subsequently spent months away from the Tour.
Nevertheless, Wawrinka still has a reputation of being a big time player in men’s tennis. Illustrated last year when he reached the quarter-finals of both the French Open and US Open, as well as the Australian Open in 2020. Norman acknowledges his players mixed form on the Tour, but believes he has the talent to defeat anybody he wants.
“It’s been a little bit up and down. He doesn’t have the same stability as Andy Murray or Novak or Roger or Rafa, but in his best moments, I think he can beat all of those names on a very good day,” he said.
“That’s what makes him a little bit special.
“Stan is a gambler. He plays with small margins. He’s the kind of guy that will put everything in red, do or die.”
Norman has been working alongside Wawrinka since 2013. In 2016 he was recognized for his work by winning the first ever ATP Coach of the Year Award. Beating off competition from the coaches of both Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem to win.
“One of the things he mentioned is I made him a winner… everybody saw before he could play great tennis,” he said of Wawrinka. “He told me that the words I’m telling him before a match calms him down a little bit and makes him believe that he could win in big moments.”
Wawrinka is currently ranked 17th in the world rankings which has been frozen since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
