Every battle is won and lost in the head. Despite the brutal physicality of a sport, it all comes down to one tiny fact that can prove to the biggest difference-maker in any duel – which of the two combatants is mentally strong enough to survive the bout.
Time and again, we have seen an athlete building up a huge lead only to give it up in the end. Tennis is no exception.
Serena Williams is possibly the biggest example of how much crucial a role mental fortitude plays. She has won countless battles simply riding on her sheer willpower and an unflinching determination to taste success even when she has looked physically uncomfortable on the court.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the newly-crowned US Open men’s singles champion Stan Wawrinka. Possessing the weapons to dismantle any active rival, it had mostly been his dodgy mental approach that has let him down so many times.
Long known for living in the shadows of his more illustrious compatriot Roger Federer, the Swiss had been labelled as one of the mediocre guys on the Tour. Like plenty of his other peers, the Lausanne-born player used to be considered a dangerous floater in any draw who can cause a few upsets but cannot go all the way.
2013: When his incredible renaissance well and truly began
In stepped the magician coach Magnus Norman, a former French Open runner-up. The dynamics between a coach and his ward are of prime importance in laying the foundation for success. It was not just having more bite on his forehand or a more rigorous fitness regimen that brought about a change in Stan’s results.
For a player to fulfill his potential under the tutelage of his mentor, he has to completely surrender himself. Unquestioned faith and a mutual trust are the biggest requisites for any relationship to flourish. A coach should encourage his protégé to expose his vulnerabilities to him so that he can clear all his doubts and send him to the court, fully focussed with clarity in his vision.
Norman was all that and much more. He embedded in Stan the level of comfort so that he can turn to him for every bit of advice to produce his very best on the court. The Swede was able to evoke the Wawrinka that we had never seen before – one who believes in himself no matter how invincible the opponent across the net can be.
That one flip of a switch inside the Swiss’ mind made an astonishing transformation. With an unprecedented match temperament, he first started pushing the established stars in 2013 only to announce his arrival on the grandest stage of the sport by clinching the Australian Open title in 2014.
Yet, Wawrinka continued to remain an enigma and an unsolved puzzle to many
For all his astounding performances and amazing career revival, they were many shocking defeats in between that were hard to fathom and even explain. Consider his very first Slam match after winning his first Major. At the 2014 French Open, when he came into the claycourt Major after winning the Monte Carlo Masters, expectations were naturally higher from the Swiss.
But Wawrinka then ranked third, made a quiet exit in the first round, losing to World No. 41 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
For once, he made it easy for his detractors to call his win over a back injury-hampered Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open final a fluke and shoo him away as just a one-Slam wonder. But Wawrinka works in his own mysterious ways that might be impossible for others to grasp.
He pushed back that bitter memory of his Roland Garros heartbreak only to return the very next year to grab the title. In a stupendous display of power and a big heart, Wawrinka denied the hot favourite Novak Djokovic the title, extending the Serb’s wait for a much-coveted Career Slam for another year.
Unlike the preceding year, the 30-year-old did not win a single clay title in the run-up to the French Open in 2015. But he managed to keep his mind in the right place for a fortnight to be able to absolutely stun the world.
It had not been easy, though. When he realized the gravity of the situation before playing his maiden final in Paris, Wawrinka admittedly had been a bundle of nerves. 15 minutes before entering the court, stage fright gripped him. It was then all down to his ever-dependable guide Norman to soothe him.
A precious pep talk brought about a calming effect and awakened the champion in him. Even though he would later go on to concede the first set against Djokovic, Norman’s words had done its magic. The Swiss found the inner warrior in him as he did not lose a single more set afterwards.
His unpredictability is what makes him even more fascinating to watch. Because he has the ability to make a mockery of all pre-tournament predictions, Stan is perhaps the most intriguing player currently on the ATP Tour, especially in Slams.
Even his coach pointed out after his French Open triumph that this is what makes him very interesting.
“He’s a very interesting player to watch, because you never know what to expect. This week we saw the greatness of Stan, but next week it could be something else.”
Another surprise on the cards
Having not reached another Grand Slam final since that monumental feat in Paris, Wawrinka was once again not a part of the pre-US Open discussions this year. He had not even made it to a summit clash in his last five tournaments.
His path to the title was riddled with all sorts of dangers and it did not look propitious at all.
But the 31-year-old was on a mission. He had set his mind to finding his championship-winning form through pain and adversity. The index finger-pointing to the temple that earned a cult status throughout his New York sojourn was what reminded him of it again and again.
It was to emphasize he was there in it – mind, body and soul. It was a signal to his anxious box that he remembers why he was there and that he was not going to bow out without putting every ounce of his strength – both physical and mental – into his war.
It was not just a war with his opponent. It was more about his unrelenting perseverance and an unbroken promise to find himself on the court. Because if he could fight and rediscover the very best he could be, he was capable of doing anything.
The Swiss beautifully described his eternal search to find his best form when he was asked about his finger-pointing gesture shortly after his semi-final victory over 2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori.
“Sometimes I don’t always find myself comfortable on the court and I have to fight with myself. So, that’s what I am focussed here – to fight, to suffer, to accept to suffer, to accept that the player in front of me (is) playing better. And that’s when I am happy with myself and proud of myself when I stay strong with what I want to do.”
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He did stay strong despite the initial hiccups, despite facing a match point against the World No. 64 Daniel Evans in the third round. He weathered the storm, made peace with his own suffering and when he arrived at the final, he was already battle-hardened.
A maiden final under the lights in the vibrant, chaotic atmosphere of New York is enough to make anyone feel jittery. Momentarily, Stan shook with fear as admitted by the champion in his post-match press conference.
But he also reminded himself of his tireless commitment: “Put the fight on the court and you will have a chance to win.”
That conviction was what won half the battle for him even before he and Djokovic started their match.
Even though it was a slow start for him, Stan never drifted away from what was his principal aim. In the second set, when his smashing backhand-down-the-line winner broke the World No. 1’s serve to put him up 3-1, Stan pointed his finger to his temple.
That gesture was to convey to himself as well as to his support group that he has found that version of himself who is ready to do everything in his power to get the win. No matter how insurmountable the mountain is, he is ready for the bruises to reach the summit.
The gesture was recurrent for the next two sets although the significance of it was different at different junctures. When he went up 2-0 in the third set, he stressed that he was still there in the hunt.
As Djokovic’s backhand sailed wide to present the third set 7-5 to Stan, the Swiss once more pointed to his temple. This time, he pledged not to back off now that he was so close to his goal.
And he kept his promise
There had never been any doubt that Stan was always a gifted player. But it was the negativity inside his head that had become a major deterrent most of the times in his pre-2013 days and barred him from becoming the best he could always be. And conquering his inner demons was what made the remarkable turnaround possible when, at the age of 28, he could finally enter his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the 2013 US Open after 34 previous fruitless attempts.
Since then, he did not lose any of the next 11 finals that he reached.
From a challenger to a contender, from a floater to a champion, from being the ‘other’ Swiss to winning three Grand Slam titles – Stan Wawrinka is the perfect role model for the strugglers, the commoners who fail every day but never stop trying. For the late bloomers who have sweated it out on the court every day only to meet with crushing defeat, he is the guide. For the numerous ‘backbenchers’ on the ATP Tour who have to be forever content with remaining out of the spotlight, he is the inspiration.
Wawrinka’s story is an apt example of why it is never too late to dream. It is indeed possible to achieve your goals at any age if one finds the best way to make one’s mind work.
After all, having talent is simply not enough because it all begins and ends in the head.
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