The year a Swiss underdog broke the dominance of tennis royalty
In short: In 2015, Stan Wawrinka pulled off one of the most significant upsets in modern tennis history. By defeating both the world's top two players to claim his first French Open title, he disrupted the era of absolute dominance and halted a legendary winning streak.
The 2015 French Open served as a seismic shift for the sport's hierarchy. Stan Wawrinka secured the men's singles title by defeating Novak Djokovic in a four-set final (4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4). This victory was particularly notable because it marked Wawrinka's second major title and followed a similar trajectory to his 2014 Australian Open win, where he also overcame the world's top two seeds. His path to the trophy required dismantling the reigning giants of the tour. The tournament saw the end of an era for Rafael Nadal. Entering as a five-time defending champion, Nadal faced Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. In a result that shocked the tennis world, Djokovic defeated Nadal, ending his record-breaking 39-match winning streak at Roland Garros. This loss was significant not just for the streak, but for Nadal's ranking; he fell to world No.
10, marking his lowest position since his top-10 debut in April 2005. Despite this setback, Nadal would maintain a remarkable presence in the elite tier, remaining in the top 10 until March 2023. The tournament also served as a graveyard for historic ambitions. Aiming for a historic double career Grand Slam, Federer sought to be the initial male athlete of the Open Era to do so. However, his quest was cut short in the quarterfinals by Wawrinka. Meanwhile, Djokovic's pursuit of a career Grand Slam—winning all four majors at least once—was delayed; while he won Wimbledon and the US Open that year, his loss to Wawrinka in Paris remained his only major defeat of 2015.
This period highlighted the volatility of elite sports. While Nadal's dominance was historically consistent, the 2015 draw proved that even the most entrenched champions are susceptible to shifts in momentum. For Wawrinka, it was a career-defining breakthrough; for Djokovic and Federer, it was a reminder of the razor-thin margins between immortality and defeat.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2015 French Open – Men's singles
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