New York - Stanislaus Wawrinka was unable to contain his excitement after capturing his maiden US Open title and first grand slam trophy of the year.
Wawrinka battled back from a set down to stun world number one Novak Djokovic 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 to reign supreme at Flushing Meadows.
Coming into the final grand slam of the year, Wawrinka had not been in the best of form and had succumbed to early defeats in three of his last four tournaments, which included a second round exit from Wimbledon at the hands of a resurgent Juan Martin Del Potro.
The world number three conceded that he had no expectations coming into the US Open as he didn’t want to put more pressure on himself.
“This is honestly amazing. I came here without expecting, without having the goal to win the match,” he said. “I have played quite a bit of tennis these two weeks; I’m pretty empty. There was so much emotion. This is something that I never had before. My goal is to give everything I have and be the best I can be.”
Wawrinka also lauded Djokovic for pushing him to his limits during the highly entertaining clash.
“We know each other for many, many years,” Wawrinka said. “Because of you I am the player I am today.”
The Swiss sensation’s victory saw him win his first grand slam title since he beat Djokovic in the final at Roland Garros last year.
For Djokovic though, the loss will be a bitter pill to swallow as he would have been looking to secure his third grand slam title of the year after triumphs at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
Despite falling short of his 13th grand slam title, Djokovic, who struggled with foot issues during the match, admitted that he was outplayed by Wawrinka on Sunday.
“Stan was the more courageous player in the decisive moments and he deserved to win this title,” he said. “It was still a fantastic couple of weeks for me. I didn't know if I was coming here. If someone had told me I was going to make the final I would have taken it.
“At this level of professional sport after playing for seven or eight months you aren't very fresh. We both felt it. He was the better player, he was tougher mentally and knew what to do. A few moments decided it.”