“It was important to share this moment”: Stan Wawrinka emotional as Roland-Garros ends and retirement nears

Stan Wawrinka brought an end to his Roland-Garros career on Monday, falling 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 to Jesper de Jong in a packed Court Philippe-Chatrier atmosphere. The Swiss player, 40, competed in his final main draw appearance at the French Open after 21 entries spanning more than a decade of appearances at the tournament.

The match was played in front of a vocal Paris crowd that remained engaged throughout the four-set contest. Wawrinka, who won three Grand Slam titles during his career, including Roland-Garros in 2015, received sustained support during what was widely framed as a farewell appearance on Parisian clay.

After the match, Wawrinka reflected on both the immediate emotional context and the broader significance of closing his Roland-Garros chapter. His comments repeatedly returned to longevity, identity, and the decision to step away from a tournament where he built some of his most significant career milestones.

The Swiss player also used the occasion to revisit his relationship with the Paris crowd and long-time peers, while acknowledging that his focus now shifts toward the final stretch of his career before retirement decisions become concrete.

Wawrinka underlined the emotional weight of what he confirmed was his final appearance at Roland-Garros, stressing the importance of sharing the moment with those closest to his career.

The Swiss player described the setting as unique within his professional life and emphasised the personal dimension of his farewell. “For me, knowing that this was my last Roland-Garros, it was important to try to share this moment with most of the people who have followed me during my career or who still follow me.”

The Swiss player also placed his Roland-Garros career within the wider context of a 25-year professional journey. He pointed to longevity and consistency at the top level as central themes of his career, while acknowledging the upcoming transition away from full-time competition.

“I have had the chance to be a tennis player for 25 years. For me, that is an enormous chance when you love what you do, when you are passionate about it. I have always tried to spread the message that with passion, work, and desire, you can achieve results far beyond what you could dream of when you are young.”

Wawrinka confirmed he will not make immediate decisions about his future schedule, instead prioritising the final phase of the current season before reassessing after its conclusion. “I know certain things I am going to do, but I deliberately left a lot of options aside because I want to finish this year in the best possible way. I want to keep my focus on the year, I want to keep thinking and living tennis fully.”

A significant part of Wawrinka’s reflections centred on his long-standing relationship with Gaël Monfils, who is also approaching the end of his career. The Swiss player highlighted a relationship built outside competition and reinforced over two decades on tour.

He described the bond as natural rather than constructed through rivalry or circumstance, noting that mutual respect shaped their interactions across years of shared events and matches.

“For me, a friendship does not need to be explained. It happens naturally, it happens through our personalities," the former world No. 3 added. "We always got along well, and I think as the years went on we got to know each other better, we spent time outside tennis, we talked about other things, we saw each other a lot outside tournaments.”

Wawrinka also expanded on his relationship with the French public, identifying a key period between 2014 and 2016 when he believes the connection became significantly stronger. “I would say that even though I always had support and a good feeling with the public, I think between 2014 and 2016 is when I really managed to connect with the French crowd.”

He added that his final years competing in France have carried particular emotional weight, reinforced by the reception he continues to receive in Paris. “For me, in these last years, not only at Roland-Garros but in other tournaments in France, it has been exceptional. And as you said, when I see what is happening today, when I hear the support from the crowd, I feel at home. There is nothing else to say.”

Wawrinka’s career at Roland-Garros included 21 main draw appearances and a 46-20 record, matching his win total at the US Open. His peak in Paris came in 2015, when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final to win his first Roland-Garros title, part of a three-Slam career that also includes victories in Melbourne and New York.

That 2015 triumph ended a dominant period in men’s tennis, with Wawrinka breaking a sequence of five consecutive Roland Garros titles held by Rafael Nadal, including nine of ten overall in that stretch. The result remains one of the defining achievements of his career.

"It is an exceptional feeling, and it is one of the reasons why at 41 years old I made the effort to still be here, because living emotions like this is the most real thing there is," Wawrinka added in French during the press conference. "For me, it is what I love most in my life as a tennis player, and it has always motivated me."