The mastermind behind Stan Wawrinka

Published by Alex Sharp

Magnus Norman (R) with Stan Wawrinka following Wawrinka's victory at Roland Garros in 2015; Getty Images

Former world No.2 Magnus Norman is transforming his own playing milestones into even bigger successes for Grand Slam-winning charge Stan Wawrinka. ALEX SHARP reports

“I started to be really nervous and I started to tell myself, ‘what … is happening? “But then I had a good talk with Magnus (Norman), he is always confident in me. “He always finds the good words to make me believe in myself and to go on the courts knowing and believing that I can beat the number one player in a Grand Slam final.”

These were the words of stunned French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in a press conference moments after the Swiss blasted world No.1 Novak Djokovic off Philippe-Chatrier Court with “the greatest game of my life.”

What if Wawrinka’s coach Magnus Norman had not focused and relaxed Stan in the locker room? Perhaps it would have been the Serbian’s name on the historic trophy and a career Grand Slam complete. A raucous Parisian crowd was treated to a masterful display of lights-out tennis from Wawrinka last June. He wielded his relic of a single-handed backhand with devastating effect and searched for the lines with cannonball shots. The eventual 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 triumph was all the more emphatic as it halted the 28-match winning streak of Djokovic, who went on to record three Grand Slam victories in a glorious season. It also illustrated a raw hunger, the gladiatorial grit now installed in Wawrinka by Norman.

The 39-year-old certainly possesses the pedigree to coach his talent to success on clay. After a runner-finish to Gustavo Kuerten in the 2000 final, the former world No.2 guided another explosive talent, Robin Soderling, to the 2009 and’ 10 finals on the Parisian red dirt. It was these three stand-out experiences at Roland Garros that provided the key subject matter for Norman’s locker room pep talk as he calmed Wawrinka’s bubbling nerves.

Tennis fans and media alike all remember Soderling’s blockbuster victory over ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal in the 2009 French Open and Wawrinka’s demolition of Djokovic had many parallels – in terms of both the gravitas of the occasion and mesmerising shot-making on show. Rewind to mid 2013, when the partnership began, and Wawrinka had contested 34 Grand Slams without a semifinal on the board; he now possesses as many major trophies as Andy Murray.

Clinching the 2014 Australian Open title proved the 31-year-old’s potential had been harnessed by Norman, vindicating Wawrinka chasing his services for some time. “For sure I remember the first practice session, it was down at Lausanne Country Club. I remember it like yesterday actually,” Norman told Australian Tennis Magazine. “Ever since I had stopped working with Soderling (December 2010), Stan wanted to try and contact me to see if I was available to work with him. I didn’t see anything special with Stan. I thought he was a nice guy, he had kids himself, so it was easy for him to understand I couldn’t travel the whole time. He was very easy with everything.”

The Swede knew Wawrinka was a “world class” talent but he had slipped out of the world’s top 10. Norman understood that the project was more about mentality than capability. “Once you get to know the player, you see how he’s responding to the training load, you see where his weaknesses are, you start to realise how he is before the games, how he is during the games, when does he get nervous,” Norman explained. “That’s when I got to know where there was room for improvements and where I could make an impact.”

While Wawrinka is quick to praise the impact of his coach, Norman returns the compliment, insisting that the world No.4 has the perfect open attitude for development. “Immediately you see he had great talents, he adapts very fast to what you say. He was very open to everything I suggested because he had wanted to work with me for so long. It is easy to work with an ambitious guy like that. He has all the tools in the box … so we just made small changes and in particular (improved) mentally.”

Norman was told when he started working with Stan that he was “a little bit soft, not the man for the big occasion.” How far from the truth that statement seems now, with Wawrinka moulded to command on court. “He had the game but I just helped him win Grand Slams, in the big matches, give him confidence,” said Norman. “I made him believe a little bit more in himself, believe that he could win.”

Both teacher and pupil are remarkably modest considering their success in the game – an aspect that appealed to Norman when joining Wawrinka. “I think he is a genuine great guy, normal guy. He prefers to be himself and he is the same with me, my friends back home from Sweden he has never met, or the superstars on tour,” reflected Norman. “You will always hear the truth from him. He’s very genuine.”

Genuine in personality and genuine on the court. There is no showboating or histrionics – merely a no-holds-barred aggression that’s combined with a transparent game plan. Encouraging the Swiss to capitalise on every opportunity, Norman’s advice is clearly working. Wawrinnka is undefeated in finals since teaming up wtih Norman, adding nine titles to his previous tally of four. The reigning French Open champion has dipped outside the top four only briefly since his second major triumph.

Despite such accolades, Wawrinka is adamant that he is yet to join the ‘Big Four’ of Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Murray. “I don’t think he’s too modest,” said Norman, adding that while Wawrinka is yet to match that quartet in Grand Slam finals appearances, he’s joined them in ranking. “Stan is not amongst the ‘Big Four’ but he’s finished the season No.4 two years in a row now.”

Norman is driving Wawrinka to find his top gears week in week out. “At his best he can beat anybody, sometimes he can underperform a little bit,” Norman pointed out. “But maybe that’s why a lot of people like him – they don’t know what to expect when he comes on court. Is it the good Stan or average Stan? You never know. He’s a very moody person and moody sometimes on the court.” The first quarter of 2016 shows such fluctuations. Two titles in Chennai and Dubai were punctuated by a loss to world No.22 Benoit Paire (Marseille) as well as last 16 exits at the Australian Open (in an enthralling five setter with Milos Raonic) and Indian Wells (where he was pipped in the decider by David Goffin). A lacklustre straight sets loss to unheralded Russian Andrey Kuznetsov ended Wawrinka’s title pursuit in Miami at the first hurdle.

Norman acknowledges that as defending champion, Wawrinka enters Roland Garros as a marked man. However his coach is unequivocal that the team will adopt the same forward-thinking approach. “(Winning the 2015 title). It is something that will always be there in the history books … being back in Paris where he played so well will bring back some brilliant memories,” Norman said. “I think he is going to play really well, he’ll be properly prepared. Yes he won last year, but we will do the same routines, he knows it will be tough.”

So how does the former world No.2 transform the knowledge of his playing days into major success for the talented players he leads? One regularly overlooked factor is the academy he has established in his homeland with former Swedish team-mates Mikael Tillstrom and Nicklas Kulti, who formed an unlikely charge to the 1998 Davis Cup title. Their academy – aptly titled “Good To Great” – is an ambitious project that has tailor-made programs for each individual. Wawrinka might be the flagship name but gregarious world No.16 Gael Monfils has signed up and Grigor Dimitrov is also on their books. Swedish brothers Elias and Mikael Ymer, widely touted as future stars, have also been tutored at the Stockholm academy.

Norman believes his triumvirate of professional experience, coaching days with Soderling and academy work all contributed to Wawrinka’s success. “Oh for sure everything is linked. The fact that I’m from a very small city in Sweden growing up, I didn’t really have a coach and I was always coaching myself. I kept writing training diaries from 12-years-old and I was always very into this coaching aspect, even when I was playing,” Norman explained. “I’ve always had a good tennis mind. My personality also suits being a coach rather than a player. Like Stan I don’t really like to be in the spotlight, I like to be the guy working behind the scenes. I learned so many things working with Robin, I have picked up so many things working with the incredible coaches at the academy at home. Everyday I’m learning in this environment.”

The academy is flourishing, with Sweden’s top juniors practising there and international names joining the “comfortable” set up established by Norman and co. With passion spreading across his face, the 39-year-old explained there are further plans for development. “At the moment we are renting courts at the club but we are just about to start building our own facilities. It’s going to be a 15 million euro project with eight indoor, eight outdoor courts, a big fitness centre and player apartments. We’re aiming to open in April 2017 but compared to the big academies we are still only going to be 60 players maximum, mainly helping the Swedish kids.”

Juggling family life and the fledging academy is challenging enough but Norman is also acutely focused on more success with Wawrinka in 2016. “Consistency would be nice to see, even if he loses it would be good to see he is going in the right direction,” Norman noted. “Also the goal in 2016 is to be in London again for the ATP World Tour Finals, to be in the top eight the competition is so tough. There are so many players knocking on the door who weren’t there last year,” added Norman, pointing to Raonic, Dimitrov, Nick Kyrgios and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as threats. “You have so many good players around. So even though Stan has been finishing top four for two years in a row, if he can finish the season in London then that would be a successful year.”

As we wrap up our conversation I ask whether he believes Wawrinka can achieve a remarkable defence in Paris. “I have a feeling he’ll rise to the challenge again,” he said. How about in those much-talked-about chequered shorts from 2015? “I don’t think so much,” retorted Norman with a smirk. The Wawrinka camp is positive and has purpose – it’s no surprise that on the dusty sun-scorched Parisian clay, they will hope to guide “good Stan” to glory once again.

This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of Australian Tennis Magazine. Subscribe now!

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