That was clearly on display in last night’s three-hour, 55-minute match.
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“He is a great champion and deserves to win this title”, the 12-times slam winning Serb said in congratulating Wawrinka.
Novak Djokovic receives treatment during the US Open final. I came here without expecting, without having the goal to win the match.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I think I played quite a lot of tennis these two weeks”.
“You’re a great champion, a great person”.
“To have this result here has been fantastic”, Mattek-Sands told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd during the trophy ceremony, her eyes welling with tears and her voice choking on her words. “It’s been an wonderful night”.
Djokovic, who was seeking his third Grand Slam title of the season after Australia Open and French Open, paid a heavy price for converting just three of 17 break points. But Sunday, Djokovic – who fell to 2-for-7 in US Open title matches alone – wasn’t feeling that way just yet.
He is a flawless three-for-three in grand slam finals.
At 31 years and five months, Wawrinka is the first player 30 and over to win the U.S. Open since Pete Sampras at 31 years and 27 days in 2002.
The 11 final wins in a row – and now three for three in major finals – show a penchant for the big moment for Wawrinka, whose battle sign is an index finger pointed at his head, showing the mental strength that he has built up with Norman. This was a match of attrition, though, as Wawrinka offered wrinkles. I never had the goal to win a Grand Slam, to be No. 1 in the world but I’m trying step by step to be the best that I can and that’s what happened tonight. Then he won the next two sets to earn his first U.S. Open crown and third major championship.
John McEnroe likes to refer to Wawrinka as Stanima, a play on words that highlights the Swiss player’s incredible conditioning and ability to outlast opponents.
Djokovic revealed during the trophy ceremony he was unsure whether he was even going to enter the tournament because he was “struggling physically”. Since the 2005 French Open, that group has been responsible for 42 of the 47 Grand Slam tournament titles.
“I really didn’t know whether or not I’m going to come, to be honest”, he said. “I would definitely accept it”.
The 29-year-old also lamented his inability to stay focused in the big moments. His only letdown in the majors was a third-round upset loss to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon.
Wawrinka has now won as many grand slams as Andy Murray, but whereas the Brit has taken 11 finals and 19 semis to reach that tally, the Swiss player has done it from just three finals and seven semis. The third-seeded Wawrinka broke Djokovic’s serve in the final game for the second straight set. They broke for the first time in the match when Garcia served for the victory at 5-4 in the second set.
Wawrinka nearly dropped serve from 40-0 in the ninth game – taken to deuce – and had to escape from 15-30 at 5-5.
But with Djokovic serving at 4-5, 30-40, he smacked a forehand wide, leveling the match at one set apiece.
But look at Wawrinka now.
Djokovic led 5-2 in the first set, but Wawrinka rallied to forge a tiebreaker that Djokovic won easily.
Wawrinka shook it off and then held serve for a 5-2 lead.
He even held his nerve when the final threatened to erupt into controversy after Djokovic twice called medical timeouts in the fourth set.
“He’s been able to be able to produce some unbelievable tennis in the finals”, Norman said earlier in the tournament.
“We both felt the demanding match that we played, but he came out on top, he was the better player, tougher mentally”.
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That’s why he was more courageous, because he stepped in and played aggressive where I was more waiting for things to happen. And that’s it, that’s sport. “I had plenty of them, break points”.
