Stan Wawrinka Moves Out of Roger Federer's Shadow with US Open Title

Three years ago, Stan Wawrinka played in the shadow of compatriot Roger Federer. A perennial runner-up, Wawrinka was that other Swiss guy who would give Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic fits in the quarterfinals and semifinals, only to fall short again and again.

After Sunday, Wawrinka is seemingly destined for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

On a hot, humid evening at Flushing Meadows, Wawrinka won his first U.S. Open title, defeating Djokovic 6-7 (7-1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3. After a lackluster start, Wawrinka overpowered the 12-time Grand Slam champion and No. 1 player on the ATP World Tour.

"This honestly is amazing...I came here without putting a goal to win [the tournament], but every time I stepped on the court I was trying to win every match," Wawrinka said during the trophy ceremony.

"You were the more courageous player in the decisive moments," Djokovic told Wawrinka and the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Wawrinka played like the three-time major winner he is. He's a perfect 3-0 in Slam finals and has won his last 11 finals matches. The 31-year-old is the only active player to have won two Grand Slam titles after age 30. He's won more Grand Slam titles in the past two years than Federer and Andy Murray combined.

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Get this: Wawrinka is a Wimbledon title away from a career Grand Slam.

Where does he fit in? ESPN's Steve Fowler suggested Wawrinka be included in the new "Big Five," with Big Four members Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Murray. But he deserves more than fifth Beatle treatment.

Wawrinka isn't a new kid on the block. He played through Federer's most dominant years and watched as Nadal, Djokovic and Murray passed him by.

He's been the Swiss sidekick to the legendary Federer. After beating Djokovic, however, Wawrinka is no longer an understudy or member of the supporting cast. He's more like that funky indie artist off doing his own thing, succeeding in his own way.

Tennis magazine's Steve Tignor captured the essence of Wawrinka's curious status as the underrated and often forgotten champion on the ATP World Tour, writing:

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This 31-year-old farmer's son from Switzerland is used to playing tennis' odd man out. In many ways, it has defined his career. Being cast in that role is part of what kept him from fulfilling his vast potential during his 20s, and it's what has driven him, over the last three years, to make good on that same promise. Even now, despite being a virtual lock for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Wawrinka doesn't fit easily into the narrative of his time.

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Although his power and talent have always been there, Wawrinka's potential for greatness sneaked up on us. How did we miss that lethal one-handed backhand? It's not as elegant as Richard Gasquet's or as consistent as Federer's, but it's devastatingly beautiful.

A late bloomer, Wawrinka once struggled to find confidence against the best players. He was the Big Four's whipping boy. Sure, he played in some epic five-setters against Djokovic, but he kept coming up short.

Then came the breakthrough in the quarterfinals at the 2014 Australian Open, where Wawrinka finally got past Djokovic. Going into that match, Djokovic had beaten Wawrinka 14 times in a row.

Wawrinka defeated Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 en route to his first Grand Slam final, where he took out then-No. 1 Nadal.

His 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over Nadal was similar to his U.S. Open final against Djokovic. Nadal hobbled throughout the match. Perhaps the relentless pounding Wawrinka unleashes on opponents renders them temporally hindered.

After the win over Nadal two years ago, Wawrinka said this, via the BBC's Piers Newbery: "It's a strange feeling. I saw so many finals. I always try to watch the finals of Grand Slams because that's where the best players are playing. Before today, for me it wasn't a dream. I never expected to play a final. I never expected to win a Grand Slam. And right now I just did it."

Two years later, Wawrinka now has to include himself among the best players. As the New York Times' Ben Rothenberg tweeted, "If you told any tennis fan in late 2012 that Swiss men would rake in three more Slams by 2016 #USOpen...they'd have assumed Roger hit 20."

Instead, Federer is at home recovering from a knee injury. "Stanimal," the name Federer gave Wawrinka, is the new U.S. Open champion. He's ranked a career-high No. 3 and is the highest-ranked Swiss player.