
Stan Wawrinka has reached a career high of World No.3, won multiple Grand Slams and even brought home an Olympic Gold medal.
Notwithstanding, the Swiss superstars accomplishments will always pale in comparison to his compatriot, Roger Federer. Wawrinka's accolades should not be diminished however, as he has proven himself on and off the tennis court.
Nonetheless, the 35-year old Swiss faced an uphill battle upon turning pro in 2002. At that point, Federer was already touted as one of the best players in the world and proceeded to win his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon a year later.
The bar had been set incredibly high for other Swiss tennis players, and Wawrinka knew Federer would be a hard act to follow. By the time he won his first ATP title in Umag in 2006, Federer was already World No.1 and a multiple Grand Slam champion.
"Being in the shadow of Roger Federer, there were negative sides but I decided to take a positive approach to the situation." Wawrinka said on an Instagram Live session.
"I arrived on the circuit young and to be able to rub shoulders with the best player of all time, to train 1000 times with him, to win the Davis Cup, the Olympic Games, it's enormous."
Federer and Wawrinka won doubles Gold for Switzerland at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Furthermore, they were instrumental in helping Switzerland capture it's sole Davis Cup title in 2014.
The duo are not only compatriots but also close friends. Wawrinka admits to often seeking Federer's input and learning from every shared experience.
At the start of my career, I asked him (Federer) for a lot of advice," Wawrinka revealed. "Discussing with the best, but also with other athletes, it allows us to progress because we always learn interesting things."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ha42JzuEOk[/embed]
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
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mandoist31-10-2026 - Osaka's mental state apparently does not allow her to reach any more Quarter Finals? I mean, she doesn't really have the time for tennis with all the pre-planning that must go into her 12 year-old "fashion" goals.
mandoist29-10-2026 - With her money one would think she could afford a better team of Psychiatrists?
mandoist29-10-2026







