Magnus Norman: I cried with Stan Wawrinka before the French Open final
Magnus Norman shared an emotional anecdote from working with Stan Wawrinka in an interview. Immediately before the 2016 US Open final against Novak Djokovic, both burst into tears in the cabin.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
Apr 16, 2020, 04:44 pm
"I usually try to keep it short. Above all, Stan doesn't like getting too much information shortly before a match," Norman said in an interview with the podcast Tennis with an Accent . "Too many tactical instructions would just make his head go crazy. I have to be very clear."
Norman joined the Wawrinka coaching team in 2013 after the Swede previously coached compatriot Robin Söderling to two Grand Slam Finals. The two of them intensified their cooperation for the 2014 season, and at the beginning of the season the triumph at the Australian Open marked the first major career highlight. In 2015 the title at the French Open was to follow, and a year later Stan the Man reached another Grand Slam final at the US Open.
"We had a short chat in the locker room before the US Open final," said Norman. "I explained to him how incredibly proud I was of his accomplishments. We had a good summer before, the collaboration was fantastic. He was probably nervous, so he started to cry during my speech."
And further: "Suddenly I had to cry too. Shortly before the match, we had a highly emotional moment immediately before the referee called the match. This moment allowed us to let our emotions run free. Stan stepped onto the court and played his best tennis . "
Stan Wawrinka works with Magnus Norman again
Wawrinka defeated Novak Djokovic 6: 7 (1), 6: 4, 7: 5, 6: 3 despite being lagging behind and set his third major title. "I will never forget those few minutes before the match in my life," said Norman.
At the end of the 2017 season, Wawrinka and Norman split up at the request of the coach. Yannick Fattebert took over the agendas, but Norman returned in 2018. Wawrinka is currently also supported by Dani Vallverdu.