Stan Wawrinka’s Roland Garros career is officially over, having lost to lucky loser Jesper De Jong in the first round earlier today.
It was an emotional affair, as fans were once again treated to glimpses of the remarkable quality that has made this Swiss superstar so revered.
However, in the end, the youth of his opponent emerged victorious, as he managed to see out the win in four sets.
Stan Wawrinka was emotional as he spoke afterwards, looking back on what has been a remarkable journey which culminated in him winning the 2015 title here.
And, as a tribute to Wawrinka’s greatness, the French Open managed to bring together some of the sport’s greatest ever names to herald the retiring 41-year-old.
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and more send messages to Stan Wawrinka
First up was his countryman Roger Federer, who recalled that famous title in 2015. He said: “Congratulations on your career and especially what you did when you won at Roland Garros. It was extraordinary winning in the final against Novak. It’s a memory I will never forget.”
Federer then concluded, with a smile: “Enjoy the moment. See you soon, old man.”
Stan Wawrinka is OUT of Roland Garros… where does he rank amongst the all-time greats? 🐐
Next up was Jannik Sinner, who thanked Wawrinka for inspiring a generation and bringing so much energy to the practice courts, even with a young version of the current world number one.
Rafael Nadal then emerged on screen, to a round of applause, as he added: “Many congratulations on your amazing career. We grew up together, arrived on the tour more or less at the same time, so it has been a pleasure to share all those years with you, and I think you made an unforgettable career.
“So many congrats for that, and I wish you all the very best in the future.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s beaming face was next, and his energy was instantly infectious. “Stan the Man!” He began, before echoing Sinner’s earlier claim: I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done for this sport, and I’m just happy to have shared the locker room, practice courts and tournaments with you and learned from you very closely.
Gael Monfils also congratulated him, branding him a legend, before Novak Djokovic finally added: “Congratulations, first of all, on an incredible career.
“You have been, you know, so inspirational to me and to so many other players across many generations that you have competed with across now over 20, 25 years that you’ve been on the tour.
“You’re a multiple Grand Slam champion, Davis Cup champion, Olympic gold medallist; you’ve had a legendary career. There’s so much to be proud of, and also, you know, very happy to call you a friend.”
Every word of Stan Wawrinka’s emotional speech after losing at Roland Garros
Before all this, Wawrinka fought back tears as he addressed Court Simonne-Mathieu.
His speech was not long, but it was emotional, as he claimed: “It’s tough, it’s hard. I didn’t ever want to say goodbye here.
“Thanks to tournaments like this, I actually wanted to be a tennis player. Watching Roland Garros, I grew up wanting to participate in this tournament at least once, so thank you for making my dreams come true.”
Who will you miss the most of these retiring legends? 😢
He then congratulated his opponent, as magnanimous as ever, before adding: “It was a battle of emotions. I wanted to keep on going to try and go as far as I could at 41 years old. I was lucky to live through many emotions for more than 20 years.
“You never want to say goodbye when you’re still so passionate. Just to see everybody here, always smiling. All the technicians.
“In the end, I gave my all for this sport. I would like to have played again here in front of you all, but unfortunately, that was my last match here in Roland Garros, so thank you very much.”
