Top 10 late-bloomers in the history of sports

#3 Stan Wawrinka (Tennis)

It took Wawrinka nearly twelve years to win a Grand Slam

The sight of Stanislas Wawrinka standing upright and firing his famous down the line backhands is a sight to behold with a million eyes. The Swiss, who has spent nearly his entire career in obscurity owing to the colossal achievements of his larger-than-life compatriot, Roger Federer, finally came into his own in 2014, when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open to win his only Grand Slam title till date.

Although he entered the top 10 rankings in 2008, his performances in the Grand Slam events were underwhelming and discussions surrounding him revolved largely around his majestic grace and style, on which all seemed to be in agreement, while observers and experts of the game bemoaned his inability to perform on the big stage. 2008 was rendered sweeter to Wawrinka, the Gold Medal that he won in collaboration with Roger Federer for the doubles event in Beijing becoming a highlight in his career.

It was only in 2011 that Wawrinka succeeded in quelling doubts over his ability. After winning the Chennai Open in the run-up to the Australian Open, Wawrinka went on to progress to the quarter-final of a Grand Slam for the first time, where he was undone by Roger Federer.

After making it to the semi-finals of the US Open in 2013, Wawrinka entered 2014 swelling with new found confidence and buoyed by his success at the Chennai Open, he came into the Australian Open as a serious contender. En route to the final, he defeated Novak Djokovic in a gruelling five-setter in the quarter-final and snapped his losing streak against Rafael Nadal, beating the Spaniard for the first time in 13 meetings.

After nearly 12 years on the professional circuit, Wawrinka finally clasped his hands around a Grand Slam trophy. He had ensured that he wouldnt be just another page in history books dedicated to Federer.