The second day of the French Open saw one of its former champions play their last match at Roland Garros before going into retirement.
Stan Wawrinka, who lifted the Roland Garros title in 2015 before reaching the final again two years later, was ousted 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Dutchman Jesper de Jong in just over three hours. The defeat brings the Swiss’ 22-year career at the French Open to an end, which started in 2004 with a loss in the first round of qualifying. Throughout his time at the Grand Slam, Wawrinka produced a total of 46 wins against 20 losses.
Cheered on by an animated crowd, Wawrinka received plenty of support on the Court Simonne Mathieu before a special video tribute took place after the match to celebrate his career. Among those who took part in the tribute were Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Gael Monfils.
“It was amazing,” Wawrinka said of his farewell match.
“More than what I could expect, finishing with so much support, so much love from the people. It was exactly the reason why I kept playing for so long.”
Wawrinka will retire at the end of this season after becoming one of the few players to have won multiple Grand Slam titles during the Big Three era. He is also a former champion at the Australian Open and the US Open. On the ATP Tour, he won 16 trophies and was a runner-up at 15 other events. A former Olympic gold medalist in doubles, he has been ranked as high as third in the world.
“When I was young, my dream was to be a professional tennis player, to be in the top 100, to have the opportunity to play those tournaments. I never expected to achieve so much in tennis, but I never put any limit on my career,” he explained.
“I always wanted more. I always walk out to get more, push myself, push my own limits, and try to find my own way to get there.
“I’m happy and proud of what I achieved all those years.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye to something you love so much, and you dedicate all your life to it, so of course it will be difficult to leave Roland Garros.”
In the Open Era, only five male players have played more main draw matches at the French Open than Wawrinka.
