ATP Tour

Ahead of final Roland Garros, Wawrinka reflects on what he will miss most

Some of Stan Wawrinka’s best memories as a professional tennis player have come on the red clay of Roland Garros. The Swiss, who triumphed in Paris in 2015, is now set to make his 21st and final appearance at the season’s second major.

Ahead of his farewell showing, the 41-year-old Wawrinka reflected on more than two decades of success in the French capital. When asked what moment stands out most from his Roland Garros journey, Wawrinka did not hesitate.

“[It] will be going up the steps and getting onto the court in 2015,” said Wawrinka, who beat then-World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the 2015 final. “It was probably the most important moment I lived [at] Roland Garros.”

Wawrinka announced in December that 2026 would be his final season on Tour. “Every book needs an ending,” he wrote as part of a social media post.

If his time at Roland Garros is one chapter in that “book”, it is a significant one. Two years after claiming the Coupe des Mousquetaires, Wawrinka returned to the final, only falling to record 14-time champion Rafael Nadal. Wawrinka has tallied a 46-19 tournament record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

What will Wawrinka miss the most about professional tennis?

“Probably the emotions you can feel when you're playing a match, especially in such a great tournament as Roland Garros,” said Wawrinka. “When you have a lot of people, a big public like here in Roland Garros, it brings in a lot of stress — good stress, and also stress that is difficult to manage. This is probably what I will miss most because I know these are emotions I won't find anywhere else.”

A 16-time tour-level champion, including three major titles, Wawrinka reached a career-high No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2014. Possessing one of the game’s most lethal one-handed backhands, Wawrinka is proud of what he has accomplished.

“I'm very happy about what I did over this long tennis career, and I'm impatient to put my racquet down, as well, to be able to enjoy other things,” Wawrinka said. “But I still have a few months to play on the Tour. If I feel well, I feel I can still do some good things despite my age and view of my physical form.”

Wawrinka was due to play 17th seed Arthur Fils in the opening round, but the Frenchman withdrew Saturday due to injury. Wawrinka will now face lucky loser Jesper de Jong. It will be Wawrinka’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with the Dutchman.

“I'm happy to be back here, happy to have an opportunity to play one last time here,” said Wawrinka. “Of course it's not going to be easy at the end, but so far I'm happy.”

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