Stan Wawrinka shocked Novak Djokovic to win his first French Open title and put a dent in the world number one’s career Grand Slam hopes.
The Swiss who is seeded eight played brilliantly in a 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory at Roland Garros.
Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka returns the ball to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday, June 7, 2015 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Wawrinka, 30, brought an end to Djokovic’s 28-match winning run as he claimed his second Grand Slam title.
Djokovic harbored hopes of becoming the eighth man to complete the set of all four major titles were not achieved.
This means the serb will have to wait for atleast another 12 months before attempting to match the full set of major titles collected by Andre Agassi, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Rafael Nadal and Fred Perry.
Djokovic went into the final as an overwhelming favourite after he had eliminated nine-time champion Rafael Nadal and third seed Andy Murray, but he was outclasses by Wawrinka.
“It was an incredible atmosphere on court and I felt emotion like I never have before,” said Wawrinka.
“I would like to thank my coach Magnus Norman. You played in the final without winning but this victory is yours as well as mine.”
Djokovic congratulated the champion pointing out wawrinka’s character and respect, “There are things that are more important in life than victories and that is character and respect – Stan you are a great champion with big heart.”
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic hugs Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka, left, after Wawrinka won the men’s final of the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, France.
The champion pointed out how one day his counter-part Djokovic will win the Roland Garros.
“One day, you will win Roland Garros,” Wawrinka told the serb during the post-match ceremony. “You deserve it.”
Wawrinka was making his 11th French Open appearance, equaling Federer and Andre Agassi for most attempts before winning it.
The victory makes him only the second Swiss to win at Roland Garros after Roger Federer, the man he beat in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile fourteen-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal has dropped to 10th in the latest world rankings - his lowest position in more than a decade. The Spaniard, 29, has fallen after losing to world number one Novak Djokovic in the French Open quarter-finals last week.
Rafael Nadal Drops to the Lowest Ranking in 10 years
It is Nadal's lowest ranking since he was 11th as a teenager in April 2005. Swiss Stan Wawrinka, who beat Djokovic to the Roland Garros men's singles title on Sunday, climbs from ninth to fourth. Djokovic, 28, stays ahead of Switzerland's Roger Federer and Britain's Andy Murray, who was beaten by the Serb in the last four. full list of the men's rankings
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