"Always ready" - Stan Wawrinka replies to Novak Djokovic as Switzerland beats Serbia in 2022 FIFA World Cup
Stan Wawrinka recently engaged in a lighthearted social media exchange with Novak Djokovic, while their home countries clashed in the football World Cup.
It all started with Djokovic teasing two of his great rivals - Switzerland's Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka - by asking if they were ready for the big game. The Serb accompanied his Instagram post with an art card of the then-upcoming match.
Wawrinka gamely replied:
"Always ready"
Wawrinka and Federer turned out to have the last laugh as Switzerland eventually won 3-2 to book their spot in the Round of 16, where they will face Portugal.
Switzerland, which finished second in Group G to advance to the knockout round, had to fight hard to thwart Serbia's threat in the first half. Xherdan Shaqiri put Federer and Wawrinka's home nation in the lead but Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic soon turned the tide in favor of Djokovic's home country Serbia.
The celebrations, however, were shortlived as Breel Embolo drilled in the equalizer for the Swiss side just before halftime. Four minutes into the second half, Remo Freuler scored to put Switzerland in the lead once again, which they would protect till the end.
On his Instagram stories, Wawrinka posted a video of himself putting the finishing touches on a Swiss flag painted on the hair of health and performance specialist Dario Novak, who is from Croatia.
"Making sure my team support (three Swiss flag emojis)," wrote Wawrinka.
He also tagged Swede coach Magnus Norman, who guided him to three Grand Slam titles and with whom he reunited last September, in a separate photo.
How has Stan Wawrinka fared against Novak Djokovic over the years?
Stan Wawrinka may have a losing 6-20 record against the 21-time Grand Slam champion, but their rivalry is anything but one-sided.
The Swiss and the Serb have had their toughest battles in the Majors. They have crossed paths on the big stages eight times, four of which went the distance.
Wawrinka had to pass through Djokovic to win each of his three Grand Slam titles. He prevailed over the Serb in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Australian Open en route to claiming his first Major crown, then scored two more victories in finals - at the 2015 Roland Garros and 2016 US Open - to complete his Slam haul.