From his cold Swiss hometown of Lausanne, an eight‑year‑old Stan Wawrinka first picked up a racket on clay, where his long, sliding one‑handed backhand began to take shape. Each May and June, he came home from school and watched Roland Garros all day, studying clay-court specialists until Paris felt both distant and familiar. By 2003, he had won the boys’ singles title, then made his men’s debut in 2005 and finally lifted the trophy in 2015. At 41, as he takes his final bow on the red soil, he can say he truly grew up with Roland Garros, surrounded by the same rivals and friends who once faced him there.

In his last main draw, Wawrinka lost 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 to Jesper De Jong in the first round. Still, Court Simonne-Mathieu gave him a roaring ovation as he kicked off a Mexican wave. It was emotional as Stan came to terms with this being his last time on the court. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo hugged him on court before he sat to watch footage of his matches down the years, including messages from his greatest colleagues and rivals.

One of them was his compatriot Roger Federer, who recalled his 2015 French Open triumph and said he will never forget it.

“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. While they’ve never faced off at the French Open, the Spaniard remembered the time he spent with Wawrinka in the locker rooms and at 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, who may not have faced him at this stage but met him on other courts, 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.

22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, was next in the video and showed praise on Wawrinka for becoming an “unforgettable” personality in tennis.

“Many congratulations on your amazing career. I think we grew up together. We arrived on the tour more or less at the same time, so it has been a pleasure to share all those years with you. I think you made an unforgettable career so many congrats for that and I wish you all the very best in the future,” Nadal said.

Wawrinka’s good friend, Gael Monfils, also made an appearance in the video. He described the former World No. 3 as a “legend” of the sport and added that he has admired him a lot despite their on-court rivalry.

“Brother, well done for everything you have achieved. Stan The Man, I’ve always admired you and you know it. I see you as a great champion, a legend in our sport. You won here at the Roland Garros, you even beat me at the Roland Garros. You won 3 Grand Slams. Stan The Man, the legend. Congratulations for all you have achieved,” Monfils said in the video.

Clearly, the Swiss player was loved by many. His journey that lasted over two decades has earned him the respect that a veteran of the sport often receives. Including more messages from rivals that once brought out the toughest side of him.

Novak Djokovic was the final player to appear in the video and pay a tribute to Wawrinka. The Serb was one player who truly tested and was tested by Wawrinka on the court, with their H2H at 21-6 in Nole’s favor. Still, the 39-year-old saw Stan as more than a rival.

“Stanimal, my man, first of all, congratulations for an incredible career. You have been so inspirational to me and to so many players across many generations that you have competed with across 25 years that you have been on the tour. You’re a multiple Grand Slam champion, Davis Cup champion, Olympic gold medallist. You’ve had a legendary career. There is so much to be proud of, and very happy to call you a friend,” Djokovic stated.

Wawrinka appeared emotional after the heartfelt video. Even after his defeat, Paris treated him like a winner and embraced him as one of their own. He achieved so much on the clay courts of the French capital, and saying goodbye will never be easy for him.

The 41-year-old remarked that the love he had received from the crowd in attendance was more than he would have ever anticipated.

Stan Wawrinka brings the curtains down on his French Open journey

“It was amazing. More than what I could have expected and what I could [have done], finishing with so much support, so much love from the people. It was exactly the reason why I kept playing for so long. Even though I was always supported, I always had this good feeling with the crowd. [Especially] between 2014, 2015, 2016, that is when there was this connection with the French crowd,” he said during the post-match interview.

Wawrinka felt he played in his home country because the Paris crowd cheered him on so loudly. The stands celebrated every winner from his racket, and he noticed it clearly.

“If I look at what happened today and when I hear what the crowd is doing, trying to support me, encourage me, I feel at home. It’s an exceptional feeling, and therefore, at the age of 41, I made this effort to still play, because these emotions are the truest ones. Those are the emotions I prefer as a tennis player. This is always what’s motivated me,” he added.

Wawrinka has struggled to make deep tournament runs this year, yet tennis fans worldwide still love him, and he remains one of the most well-known players of his generation. He has already left his mark on the sport, and crowds around the world celebrate his farewell year.

With his clay-court season now concluded, Wawrinka will now be shifting his focus to the grass swing that is set to commence from next month.