"I didn't call many, but my wife, daughter, sister & Roger Federer call me" - When Stan Wawrinka credited Swiss' support after Australian Open win
Stan Wawrinka thanked Roger Federer for supporting him after he won his first Major title at the 2014 Australian Open.
Wawrinka had a great run at the Melbourne Slam that year, beating Andrey Golubev, Alejandro Falla, Vasek Pospisil (W/O) and Tommy Robredo to reach the quarterfinals. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the last eight before getting past Tomas Berdych.
Wawrinka then faced top seed Rafael Nadal in the championship match, who had defeated Roger Federer in the semifinals and showed excellent form, losing only one set in the tournament up to that point. Despite Nadal's strong performance, the Swiss bettered the Spaniard in four sets and lifted the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for the first time.
Following that, Wawrinka spoke highly of his compatriot Federer during a press conference, calling him the best tennis player ever. He also shared that the 20-time Grand Slam champion consistently stayed in touch and wished the best for him.
"Roger [Federer] is a good friend. He's for me the best player ever. He's been there since so many years. He was struggling a little bit last year, but except that he's an amazing player, amazing friend, because he always wants the best for me," Wawrinka said.
"He's always texting me. Even if he lost, like in the US Open, he was the first person to text me before the match or after the match," he added.
Wawrinka then mentioned that Federer called him after his title triumph at Melbourne Park alongside his wife, daughter and sister:
"Yeah, I didn't call so many person, but my wife, my daughter, my sister and Roger call me. So, yeah, was nice for me. I know that he's really, really happy for me. He always wanted the best for me."
Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer have met each other 26 times
Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer have played each other a whopping 26 times on the ATP Tour, with Federer having a commanding 23-3 lead in their head-to-head record.
The pair have crossed paths eight times in Grand Slam tournaments and Federer holds a 7-1 advantage. Their first encounter at a Major took place in the 2010 French Open, where Federer secured a straight-set victory. Wawrinka's sole Major win against his compatriot came in the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros in 2015.
As of now, Stan Wawrinka, 38, continues to compete in the men's tour. Meanwhile, Roger Federer hung up his racquet in 2022 with his farewell match taking place at the Laver Cup.