Until losing in the third round at Wimbledon against Sam Querrey, Djokovic had won 30 consecutive Grand Slam matches, becoming only the third man – and first in almost 50 years – to win four consecutive major titles.
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Wawrinka started to put his signature on the match in the second set, as he jumped out to a 4-1 lead. However, Wawrinka was able to break the Serb again late in play.
Stan Wawrinka has evened up the U.S. Open final against Novak Djokovic at a set apiece. I am very proud of it, so this loss today can not overshadow the great moments I have had in Australia and especially in Paris.
It is Wawrinka’s first US Open title and his third grand slam title.
“It’s awesome. I came here without the goal of winning it, but I stepped on the court trying to win the match”.
Coming into the match, Djokovic held a commanding 19-4 lifetime advantage over Wawrinka, with Djokovic appearing in his seventh U.S. Open final and 19th Grand Slam final in last 25 tournaments (since the 2010 U.S. Open).
“There are many more important things than tennis matches”, Wawrinka said as he accepted the trophy. And though no one’s saying Djokovic is going anywhere (though Federer doesn’t win majors these days, he’s still one of the three best players in the world when healthy), having 13 Slams and need four to tie The Fed suddenly looks a lot more daunting.
Wawrinka, however, kept up the attack and on set point in the 12th game slotted a backhand deep and into the corner which Djokovic could only push wide.
The 31-year-old Wawrinka is the oldest U.S. Open men’s champion since Ken Rosewall was 35 in 1970, and entered Sunday having spent nearly exactly twice as much time on court as Djokovic during the course of the tournament: about 18 hours vs. about 9 hours. I have played quite a bit of tennis these two weeks; I’m pretty empty.
“My toe nails were off and bleeding”, he said.
McEnroe, commentating for ESPN, suggested Djokovic was getting leg cramps, the kind of injury that is not eligible for treatment by a trainer on court.
Wawrinka complained to the chair umpire that he should have been forced to wait until the change of ends, but Djokovic was allowed a six-minute break. He and fellow Canadian Benjamin Sigouin lost in the U.S. Open junior doubles final Saturday.
“We both felt the demanding match that we played today, but he [Wawrinka] came out on top, ” he said. It was the third major title for the 12th-seeded Mattek-Sands and Safarova, who won the Australian and French Opens in 2015. “I was shaking in the locker-room”, Wawrinka said.
Then he showed just how much he has left in the tank, capping a draining fortnight with a championship victory over world number one Djokovic. “Hopefully I can get better, because that’s the cycle of life, I guess, for us athletes”.
The victory was worth $3.5 million for Wawrinka, who is only missing a Wimbledon victory to complete the coveted career grand slam.
Calling on that expertise, he broke for 3-1 in the second set, recovered from handing the advantage back in the seventh to level the final when Djokovic unleashed a wild forehand on set point in the 10th.
Djokovic is considered the best returner in tennis history.
After Wawrinka moved ahead 5-2, Djokovic called for another time-out.
During the trophy ceremony, Mattek-Sands choked up and her eyes filled with tears as she told the crowd: “It’s a special day today here for everybody in NY”.
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U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka took time out at the end of his victory speech to remember the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks.
