‘I played all of tennis’ big four – I know who the toughest opponent of them all was'
‘I played all of tennis’ big four – I know who the toughest opponent of them all was'
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Tennis veteran Stan Wawrinka has revealed who he considers the toughest opponent of his career. Wawrinka is now nearing retirement at 39 following a 23-year-long stint in which he's played some of tennis' greats. That of course includes the 'Big Three' of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, as well as Andy Murray. Despite being a compatriot of Federer, the Swiss star has hailed Nadal as his most formidable foe, particularly on the clay courts where the Spaniard usually reigned supreme. He explained his pick on the Nothing Major podcast.
"Well, they have all been so tough, but I think Rafa at the French Open was particularly challenging," he said. "I played him in the final in 2017 and I was constantly watching the clock, hoping to reach the one-hour mark before he won. "It's especially tough with his high backhand shots coming at you nonstop. You feel like every single ball is coming at you, and you don't see any option to hit a winner or push him out of the court.".
Despite the challenges, Wawrinka expressed a particular fondness for playing against Djokovic, picking him as his favourite opponent. "I think I've lost more than 20 times to Novak, but he's the one I felt happy to play against. Even when I lost in the 2014 ATP Finals 6-0, 6-3, I enjoyed playing him," he continued. "He has such a nice, clean stoke. Even if he destroys you, you're kind of happy because you're looking at the perfect tennis player in front of you.".
Murray was for some time mentioned in the conversation of tennis' elite thanks to his three Grand Slam triumphs and two Olympic golds. And so was Wawrinka after he beat Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final and Djokovic in the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open finals. Despite matching Murray's tally of majors, he feels he doesn't belong in the same company. "It bothered me when people talked about the 'Big Five' or something similar," he admitted.
