We may see an utterly dominant Djokovic dominate the sport over the next five years, and if that happens, he will owe Wawrinka a token of thanks. If, however, Djokovic is unable to ever win the French Open or even to dominate men's tennis like he has, Roland Garros 2015 will be the cause of that futility. Wawrinka's win creates a blueprint of how the best can be overcome
For over a decade, the French Open at Roland Garros has been an anti-climax on the men's side. Rafael Nadal's decade of dominance led to this becoming the most predictable grand slam of all. This year, however, was different, with a subpar Nadal ceding ground early to Novak Djokovic, inarguably the best player in the world. And, as Djokovic eased his way towards an expected coronation, one felt with certainty that the "Big Four" was set to be replaced by a one-man army, especially when considering the head to head advantages that Djokovic had over Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, the only two men standing in his way.
Periods of complete dominance in men's tennis do occur surprisingly frequently, so no one would have been surprised had Djokovic completed a career grand slam at Paris. He even had a better than even shot at a calendar grand slam, given his being the defending champion at Wimbledon and a past champion at the US Open. A virtually unstoppable Djokovic was well-placed to run rampant at the peak of his talents and ability. Wawrinka came into the French Open with little indication that he was about to pull off the most improbable grand slam heist in what could well be considered the biggest upset in a grand slam final that this generation has seen.
This was a major where the champion was to be determined in a blockbuster quarter-final match-up between Nadal and Djokovic, a match which the latter dominated to such an extent that few felt that Rafa would ever be quite the same going forward. And until the end of the third set in the semi-finals against Murray, Novak was a few steps away from perfection. Something, however, changed in that third set, and as Murray found himself back in contention, the cloak of invincibility that Djokovic had worn so effortlessly slipped away and that was where the French Open was lost. Despite his winning the match in five sets, a frustrated, tired and tentative Djokovic emerged scathed, and a rested Wawrinka would have interestedly observed that his chances at an upset had just increased manifold.
The final was an incredible display of blistering stroke-play in which a usually fragile Wawrinka emerged from every slump by hitting the felt off the ball. It was the kind of match that almost invariably favours Djokovic, but somehow Wawrinka kept the pressure on, battering away with pin-point winners and peppering the court with thunderbolts. His win not only dispelled the myth of the "Big Four", it was a victory for the Muggles over the wizardry of Rafa, Nole and Roger Federer.
Wawrinka later claimed that he didn't deserve to be considered a part of the "Big Four", but his disclaimer was out of humility. The truth in today's context, however, is different. There is no "Big Four", "Big Three" or "Big Five". Rafa quite realistically may never win a major again, as might not Federer. Murray until recently was struggling for survival, and no one else was consistently staking a claim for greatness. Now, all of that has changed. Wawrinka in all likelihood will not contend for number one, but everyone will leave Roland Garros believing that they have a legitimate shot at winning, going into every major from now on out.
Five years from today, this could be the tournament that changed the destiny of many of the greatest players of this generation. For Djokovic, this is the make-or-break moment for his future legacy and how he recovers from this will determine his place in history. His confidence will be rattled, his mental fortitude put to the test and his ability to overcome failure from an extremely unlikely source will determine whether or not he challenges Nadal's or Federer's grand slam records. Perhaps this setback will prevent him from being complacent and we may see an utterly dominant Djokovic dominate the sport over the next five years, and if that happens, he will owe Wawrinka a token of thanks. If, however, Djokovic is unable to ever win the French Open or even to dominate men's tennis like he has, Roland Garros 2015 will be the cause of that futility. Wawrinka's win creates a blueprint of how the best can be overcome and it throws aside any demarcation of the "Big 4" going forward. It was one of the greatest performances of all time and it came against the king of the exalted "Big Four" kingdom. And that's why this was a win for the Muggles.
The writer leads the sports law practice at J Sagar Associates. These views are his own
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