This only exists Down Under, in the land of unparalleled fair play.
The loser of the third round game against California top 10 player Taylor Fritz receives a standing ovation and takes a victory lap in the John Cain Arena.
Stan Wawrinka. The eternal number 2 in Swiss tennis during the era of the exceptional talent Roger Federer.
It wasn’t until Stan Wawrinka was able to briefly step out of the shadow of the Big Four between 2014 and 2016.
Grand Slam victories in Melbourne (2014), Roland Garros (2015) and New York (2016), always against the reigning number 1 in the world rankings.
The “Swiss Semi” 2017 at the Australian Open was also epic. Once again a 5-sentence thriller that Roger Federer won.
With him he had won gold in doubles at the Olympic Games in Beijing almost 10 years earlier and won the Davis Cup in 2014.
An elegant, one-handed backhand straight out of the textbook, emotions, dramas, injuries and many long matches:
These were the hallmarks of Romand, which gave him the nickname “Stan the Man”.
Having been in Melbourne for 20 years and on the tour for a few more years, he has helped write modern Swiss tennis history.
And gave the sport a boost in Switzerland.
When saying goodbye, the tennis marathonista provided a refreshing surprise: he grabbed two beers from his tennis bag and toasted the tournament director Craig Tiley in the packed stadium.
Lots of applause. And tears. Stan, we will miss you.
