Emotions filled the air at the Court Simonne-Mathieu as Stan Wawrinka got knocked out of the French Open in the first round itself in his last appearance at the tournament. After he was done taking a lap around the court, a few familiar faces appeared in front of a screen, bidding him the most fitting farewell from the major as he fought back tears.

He took on Jesper De Jong in the first round and suffered a 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 defeat, and after the match, the FFT organized a short and heartwarming farewell for Stan the Man. In a heartfelt video put together by the team, Wawrinka’s greatest colleagues and rivals congratulated him on his glorious career.

One of them was none other than his compatriot, Roger Federer, who harked back to his triumph at the French Open back in 2015 and said that it is something that he will never forget.

“Ciao Stanley, congratulations on your career and especially for what you did when you won at Roland Garros. It was extraordinary, winning the final against Novak. It is a memory I will never forget, and it was a pleasure to share so much time on the tour with you over your career. I hope you celebrate this final Roland Garros properly, that you feel all the love, and you enjoy everything up to the end of the year and your career. I’m really impressed with what you achieved. Enjoy the moment. See you soon, old man,” Federer said in the video.

World No. 2, Carlos Alcaraz, was also a part of the video and remembered the time he spent with Wawrinka in the locker rooms and the tournaments. He also wished him the best of luck for his next chapter in life.

“Stan the Man, I’m really grateful for everything you have done for this sport. And I’m just happy to have shared the locker room, the practice courts and the tournaments with you and learn from you very closely. So, thank you very much and I wish you all the best in your new chapter,” Alcaraz stated.

Jannik Sinner also made an appearance in the video and hailed Wawrinka for dedicating his whole life to tennis and for achieving his remarkable accolades.

“Stan, amazing career, Grand Slam champion. You did something amazing. I had the pleasure of practicing with you when I was younger, and I know you dedicated your whole life to be the best possible tennis player. So keep it up. I wish you only the best for the new chapter, and a lot of health too,” Sinner said.

This is a developing story…