Under the Swede tutelage, Wawrinka achieved 13 tour-level trophies and claimed three Gland Slam tournaments - the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open in 2015, and the US Open in 2016.
The 35-year-old, now ranked 17th in the world, reached a career-high No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings back in 2014, while coached by Norman.
The Swedish tennis coach and retired professional tennis player - elected ATP Coach of the Year in 2016, agreed to talk to Sports Pundit on the mutual decision to part ways, the future, and his role as a co-founder of the Good to Great Tennis Academy in Stockholm.
Among Norman career highlights is the final at the French Open back in 2000, playing against Brazilian star Gustavo Kuerten, who claimed his second triumph in French soil that year.
Also in 2000, the Swede - a David Cup winner for Sweden, reached a career-high No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.
SP: Everything seemed business as usual ahead of the Italian Open - where Wawrinka, you, and the team were preparing for the start of the tournament.
On Monday came the announcement made by the Swiss on Instagram that reads: “After 8 years together @swedennorman and I have decided to part ways by mutual consent.”
What triggered you both to seek different paths?
MN: Well, I don’t want to get into any details, but I can’t spend the amount of time from home now that Stan needs. We both felt like Stan needs someone there fulltime to get him where he wants to be. It was a mutual decision.
SP: What is the first memory that comes to mind when you think about the time you and Wawrinka spend in and out of the tennis court?
MN: On the court, it is the French Open win for Stan. Outside the court, it is a brief moment together after the final in French Open when only Stan, myself, and Stan’s agent were together alone in the hotel room.
We toasted on our partnership and the win a few hours earlier. It was a moment of friendship and celebration of massive work.
SP: As a former player, how did you help Stan find a balance between the difficult moments and major achievements?
MN: We were always looking to improve long-term. We always thought about the whole thing as a process. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose, but we always had goals there, and we were always looking to get better. That created positive stress.
SP: What are your professional plans for the near and long term future?
MN: Short term, I want to spend a lot of time with my daughter and work at the academy.
I don’t have any long term plan as for now. I am happy with what I am doing and the decisions that have been made.
SP: You mentioned before your work at the academy the Good to Great Tennis Academy of which you are a co-founder.
Could you tell us about the work that you and your staff do to help kids with a dream of becoming a professional athlete?
MN: Yes, we have done a good job with players from 12-18/19 years of age. Our track record is good. We want to keep improving and keep helping young players move up the ladder.
My role at the academy as a founder and performance director is to drive and improve the program and be a mentor and guide.
“Through our experience, we aim to develop tennis players from Good to Great, as well as preparing young people for life on and off the tennis court”, highlight the founders of the Good to Great Tennis Academy, Magnus Norman, Nicklas Kulti, and Mikael Tillstrm.
Read our interview with Stan Wawrinka: A story of talent and resilience
Here you can read the full statement made by three Grand Slam champion on Instagram.
“After 8 years together @swedennorman and I have decided to part ways by mutual consent. We have had an amazingly strong, enjoyable, and hugely successful partnership. We reached the height of this sport together, and I want to thank him for helping me win everything that I could ever [have] dreamt of winning,” remarked Wawrinka on his post.
“He’s been a great coach, friend, and mentor and will always be a dear friend. I want to publicly thank him for all his hard work, dedication, and commitment to making me a better player over the years. Winning three Grand Slams has been a life-changing experience for me, and I could not have done that without him. Wishing him all the best in his next chapter in his life!” said the Swiss in tribute to the man who guided him since they began their collaboration in 2013.
The Swiss player is currently working on his return to action at Roland Garros.
The 2020 edition of the French clay-court Grand Slam tennis tournament will exceptionally be held between September 27 to October 11 of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.