Stan Wawrinka, one of the two Roland-Garros winners competing this year with Novak Djokovic, fell in the first round against the Dutchman Jesper de Jong (106th), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, beaten in qualifying but repealed after the abandonment of Arthur Fils.
Despite great resistance and support from the Simonne-Mathieu court, which he delighted with his signature one-handed backhand, his 21-year story at Porte d’Auteuil ended with a lob from his opponent.
“I don’t want to say goodbye to you here (…) It was exceptional to be able to experience this moment on the pitch,” declared the Swiss, visibly moved, in a red and white tunic, far from the eccentricity of the checkered shorts which accompanied him during his coronation in 2015.
The Federation broadcast a video including a tribute from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Gaël Monfils who saluted a “legend of this sport”.
