Roger Federer first had the honor of carrying Switzerland's flag at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
(CNN) -- Some of the world's top tennis stars will have the honor of carrying their countries' flags at Friday's opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics, but one of the sport's biggest names is taking a back seat.
Not due to injury, like Beijing 2008 singles champion Rafael Nadal -- who has had to relinquish his role as Spain's flag bearer -- but because one of the game's renowned gentlemen thinks it's time to share the prestigious job.
While former world No. 1s Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova will lead the way for Serbia and Russia, Switzerland's team will be led into the Olympic stadium by a gold medalist, and one of the European nation's finest tennis players -- though he's not the one that you'd expect to see in the limelight.
Stanislas Wawrinka has spent his career in the shadow of Roger Federer, but on Friday the eyes of the world will be on the man known as "Stan" -- and not his great friend.
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"I just felt it was important to give someone else a chance. In Switzerland we believe that," the 30-year-old said.
"I told the Swiss Olympic Committee that they should choose someone else and they chose my partner, Stan Wawrinka. It's a great, great honor for him. I couldn't have won the gold without him, everybody knows that. I think they chose the right guy."
A tale of two careers
Wawrinka has won three tournament titles to Federer's 75, and $5.5 million in prize money to the 16-time grand slam champion's $73 million, but they have one thing in common: an Olympic gold medal.
Four years ago in Beijing, seeded only fourth, the Swiss duo overcame the odds to win the men's doubles competition -- cementing a partnership that began when they started practicing together in the late 1990s.
Wawrinka, nearly four years Federer's junior, was just 16 at the time.
"He was already number six in the world -- after 10 minutes I was completely red!" Wawrinka told CNN's Open Court of his first session with Federer. "I was dead tired, and so nervous to play with him.
"He's the best, it's good for any player. We'll be practicing one week and then playing each other the next, but it's not the fact that we share nationalities that makes playing him hard, it's that he's the best in the world."
American idol
Wawrinka, like Federer, idolized seven-time Wimbledon winner Pete Sampras when he was growing up.
"I wasn't good until I was 17 -- I never even won the Swiss Championship," the 2003 French Open boys' champion said. "Sampras was a great athlete and I was a big fan. That's why I focus on being an allrounder."
Federer matched Sampras' record tally at the All England Club when he beat Andy Murray in this month's final, and Wawrinka will face Britain's world No. 4 in the opening round of the Olympic singles competition.
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Despite slipping down the world rankings from a career high of ninth in 2009 to 25th ahead of London 2012, Wawrinka still holds hopes of success.
"I feel I'm playing the best tennis of my career right now -- the top 40 is just so strong, the strongest it's ever been, maybe. With this top 40 you have to fight for every match. To break back into it is more mental than physical, for sure. It's about confidence," he said
"Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself. It's not good. I'm too tight, because I want to win. That's why I need to focus on what's going on on the court, not off of it."
Family ties
His drop in form coincided with the birth of his first child, daughter Alexia, in 2010, while last year he separated from his wife Ilham Vuilloud.
"Having a daughter and being a tennis pro changes everything. It's hard to train so much, but it's great to see she's interested in what I'm doing -- if I'm playing tennis, she wants to play tennis," he said.
Wawrinka fondly recalls Beijing, where he and Federer beat top-ranked doubles duo Mike and Bob Bryan in the semifinals before winning gold.
"We played our best tennis against the Bryan brothers -- it was the toughest and most important win. Whilst we talked strategy for the finals afterwards, it was made easier knowing we were playing great tennis," he said.
"In the first game I wasn't playing well, but Roger really helped me to be comfortable. We've known each other for so long, but even we were surprised at how easy we found it on the court. It was so natural, and talking helped a lot -- we're very honest around the court."
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Their close relationship translated well off the court too, particularly in the Olympic Village.
"At night all of the Swiss athletes would play cards. We played a lot against the soccer team -- we were the best though, you can ask them!"
Togther for life
If Federer's inclusion for China was a foregone conclusion, Wawrinka's presence was anything but guaranteed.
"Roger had a lot of great players to choose from (as a partner). It was a tough choice but in the end he chose me. We were having a great time and I think that's part of the reason we won -- I was happy for him and he was happy for me," he said.
"I was almost crying at the medal ceremony. We had to joke around to stop the tears and start laughing instead. We used our friendship to stop from crying in front of everybody!
"It was the best moment of my career because it wasn't just about tennis. It was about sport, it was about Switzerland, it's a dream for everyone and to share it with someone added to the enjoyment."
Federer will go into London 2012 seeking the one major title that eludes him -- Olympic gold in the singles. He begins his campaign against Colombia's Alejandro Falla, the man who took him to five sets at Wimbledon in 2010.
Federer reached the semifinals as a teenager at Sydney 2000 but lost in the playoff for the bronze, then crashed out in the second round in Athens and the last eight in Beijing.
"The day before the (doubles) quarterfinals Roger lost to James Blake in the singles and I had to prove to him that he could trust me," Wawrinka said.
"Once we started playing well I could tell he got over the loss and said to himself, 'Okay, let's do something in the doubles now.' That was the moment, and now we have a gold medal -- together, for life."
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However, this year the duty has been passed to Federer's friend Stanislas Wawrinka, who helped him finally climb onto the Olympic rostrum at Beijing.
Wawrinka and Federer had long been practice partners, but came together to win the men's doubles title. In the semifinals they beat top-ranked Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States, who had to settle for bronze.
Wawrinka collapses after winning the match point in the final against Sweden's Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson.
Federer breaks down as the significance of their achievement gets the better of him.
Wawrinka told CNN that in order to stop themselves from crying, he and Federer cracked jokes up on the podium. When Federer took a look at his medal, he told Wawrinka there was a crack in it.
That 2008 moment remains the peak of Wawrinka's career. He has won two men's singles titles since, but has only reached the quarterfinal stage of a grand slam twice. This year he lost in the fourth round at the French Open, the third round at the Australian Open and the first at Wimbledon.
Wawrinka won the 2003 French Open boys' title, just after turning 18, as he beat American Brian Baker in straight sets. Stepping up to the adult circuit ranked as the world's 14th-ranked junior, his decision to quit school aged 15 to focus on his tennis career seemed justified.
By defending her Stanford title on Sunday, Serena Williams (left) equaled her older sister Venus' record of 43 WTA tournament victories, the most by any player still active on the Tour. Former world No. 1 Serena retained her ranking of fourth, achieved by winning her fifth Wimbledon title this month. She also won the doubles with Venus.
Five years later Federer picked up his first men's singles title at SW19, defeating Australian Mark Philippoussis in straight sets.
Federer dominated men's tennis following his 2003 triumph, winning Wimbledon in each of the following four years. His run was brought to an end in 2008, when rival Rafael Nadal edged a five-set thriller which is widely regarded as one of the greatest matches of all time.
Federer bounced back from his defeat to Nadal in typical fashion by winning the U.S. Open for a fifth consecutive year.
By 2009, despite all of his success, Federer was still to claim the French Open title. But after Robin Soderling eliminated Nadal in the fourth round, Federer beat the Swede in the final to complete a career grand slam.
When Federer beat Andy Murray in the final of the 2010 Australian Open, it put him two past Pete Sampras' next-best 14 grand slam titles. He would have to wait until July 8, 2012 before lifting another, beating Murray again in the Wimbledon final.
Federer lies on the grass court at the All England Tennis Club upon winning match point during the men's singles final against Murray on Sunday.
Murray, the first Briton to reach a men's singles final at Wimbledon in 74 years, returns a shot to Federer during the match Sunday.
Murray returns a double-handed backhand to Federer during the men's singles Wimbledon championship on Sunday.
Murray leaves the court during a rain delay in the second set Sunday. Murray was trying to become the first British man to win the title since Fred Perry in 1936.
Ground staff pull a cover onto center court during a rain delay in the championship match.
Tennis fans shelter from a heavy downpour that developed during the match Sunday.
Federer, left, returns a shot from Murray during the men's singles Wimbledon championship in London on Sunday.
Federer returns a forehand to Murray during the first set.
Murray reaches for a short shot by Federer on Sunday.
Fans cheer during the first set of the championship match Sunday.
Federer jumps and returns a shot to Murray on Sunday.
Murray and Federer enter the court prior to the men's singles final match on the final day of Wimbledon on Sunday.
London's Mayor Boris Johnson, top left, and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, right, attend the match Sunday.
Pippa Middleton, left, and her sister, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, sit in the royal box during the match between Federer and Murray on Sunday.
An official changes the order of play board at the All England Lawn Tennis Club ahead of the championship match Sunday.
Tennis fans gather on Murray Mount to watch the final match Sunday.
Spectators race to claim a vantage point on Murray Mount after the gates opened at the venue on Sunday.
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