"I asked him for a lot of advice" - Wawrinka on playing second fiddle to Roger Federer

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]

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