Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka stand as the two most successful Swiss players in ATP history, sharing 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Beyond individual achievements, the compatriots captured doubles gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and later secured Switzerland’s first-ever Davis Cup title in 2014. However, their partnership faced a moment of tension following a challenging defeat in 2012 due to a mistranslation.
The 2012 Davis Cup Controversy and Mistranslation
Hosting the USA in Fribourg for their 2012 opening tie, Switzerland suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat against the record 32-time champions. Wawrinka lost a five-set match to Mardy Fish, while Federer fell in four sets to John Isner. The pair then lost their doubles encounter against Fish and Mike Bryan, which sealed the American victory.
Following the doubles match, as sports.yahoo.com reported, Federer made remarks that initially appeared critical of his partner. He was reported as saying that he played well enough in doubles but Stanislas did not, adding that Wawrinka missed his best form in singles and that the defeat prevented Switzerland from applying pressure on the U.S.
Federer addressed the situation at his next tournament in Rotterdam, explaining that his words were completely misinterpreted and that he would never blame Stan. He noted that the Americans played very well and confirmed he spoke with captain Severin Luthi and Wawrinka multiple times to clear up any misunderstandings, attributing the controversy to the press creating something from nothing.
Reconciliation and Historic 2014 Triumph
The misunderstanding did not harm their relationship, as the duo led Switzerland to a historic Davis Cup victory over France in the 2014 final held in Lille. After securing the decisive win against Richard Gasquet, Federer praised Wawrinka during the post-match press conference, stating that Stan put the team in a great position for Sunday and calling it one of the best weeks they shared as a team.
Wawrinka returned the praise by expressing his joy and joking with Federer in front of the press, highlighting how well Federer played against Gasquet. Switzerland’s 2014 campaign included a 3-2 first-round win over Serbia, a 3-2 semi-final victory against Italy, and a 3-1 triumph over France in the final.
Switzerland has not approached a Davis Cup title since that victory, failing to reach a single quarter-final in the 12 years following their historic win.
