Stan Stands Tall in Flushing

Stan Wawrinka captured the 2016 U.S. Open championship Sunday night, with a 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 win over the top-seeded Novak Djokovic. In the near four-hour match, is a perfect 3-0 now in Grand Slam finals, having taken the Men’s Singles title at both the 2015 French Open, defeating Djokovic, and 2014 Aussie Open, defeating Rafael Nadal.

Coming into the match, Djokovic held a commanding 19-4 lifetime advantage over Wawrinka, with Djokovic appearing in his seventh U.S. Open final and 19th Grand Slam final in last 25 tournaments (since the 2010 U.S. Open).

“I made a lot of double faults throughout this tournament. I was struggling with that shot and with the motion, the movement and on the serve with the technique because of what I carried into this tournament,” said Djokovic. “I was working a lot on it and trying to find that rhythm, but my body has kind of compensated and made some different things to protect the problem I had with the arm. You know, unfortunately it wasn't … the serve wasn't there when it was needed it wasn't there, and in big matches like this, you need the serve. I lost decisive games in second and third set and just handed him over with some unforced errors and bad serves.”

Wawrinka is on a 10-match winning streak in finals after beating Marin Cilic 6-4, 7-6(11) for his first Swiss title at Geneva in May. He has a 10-0 record in finals since 2014.

"I think I take confidence every time I win a match," said Wawrinka. "In Grand Slams, you play every two days, five-set matches. You have a little bit more time to make a mistake. That's what happened with me. I always try to be at my top in every Grand Slam. As you can see, I don't play my best tennis in the first round, but I'm trying to find a way to improve each match. Every match I win at a Grand Slam, I take confidence, and when I arrive in the finals, I know that my game is there."

With the win, Wawrinka became the fifth man in the Open Era to win two or more Grand Slam singles titles after turning 30. He won the 2015 Roland Garros at 30 years and two months. At 31 years and five months, Wawrinka is the first player 30 and over to win the U.S. Open since Pete Sampras at 31 years and 27 days in 2002.

Coming into Sunday, Djokovic had a relatively easy path to the finals, having spent just eight hours and 58 minutes on the court, playing 13 completed sets, while Wawrinka played 17 hours and 54 minutes, and 23 sets in six matches.

"I love it," said Wawrinka of his past two weeks in Flushing Meadows. "I love the fans, but especially also the people working the tournament every day. Every day when you arrive, you see them. I love the ball kids. It was great to see them being happy for me after the match on the Armstrong against Daniel Evans. If I can sign or give a picture or anything … I'm always happy. They always take care of me, my team, of everybody."

Credit all photos to Sidney Beal III