Swiss number two Stanislas Wawrinka said that he’s getting more support from fans from his native country after making it far at the US Open this year where he reached the quarterfinals. His more popular compatriot, Roger Federer, lost in the fourth round.
“To be Swiss No. 2 after Roger is still amazing,” Wawrinka was quoted by the Independent. “He’s a special tennis player, the best player ever. He has won everything. He’s in a different league, on a different level. I’m No. 2 in Switzerland, but I feel like No. 1, because he is just in a league of his own.”
Federer has already secured a place at the ATP World Tour Finals next week while Wawrinka is aiming to qualify for the year-end championships for the first time. He’s currently in eighth place at the Race to London standings while Frenchman Richard Gasquet is in ninth. The ninth-ranked player gets a ticket to London after Wimbledon champion Andy Murray pulled out of the event due to recuperating from a recent back surgery.
“I think this year a lot of things have changed—especially in Switzerland but also in the tennis world,” Wawrinka said. “I was the last Swiss player at the U.S. Open and everyone in Switzerland was watching. I feel good with my position. I’m enjoying what I’m doing. People in Switzerland are supporting me much more than they did in the past.”
