India, Oct. 28 -- Wawrinka, who won 11 consecutive title matches between 2014 and 2016, was arguably the second-best player on tour. Only Djokovic, with six majors, won more Slams than Wawrinka's three. Wawrinka also won more than Murray, who claimed two majors during that period, and Nadal, who won one. Federer did not win a major in those years, his previous triumph having come at Wimbledon in 2012.

Wawrinka finished each of those three seasons ranked No. 4. He also established himself as a formidable opponent for the elite, beating top-10 players nine times in 2013, eight times in 2014 and nine times in 2015.

Despite the accolades, Wawrinka resisted being grouped with the "Big Four". Murray and the others, he argued, had maintained t...