Roland-Garros! A magical place for Stan Wawrinka: he entered the big stage there as a junior winner in 2003. Now he leaves Paris disillusioned after losing to Jacob Fearnley.
26.05.2025, 19:49
26.05.2025, 20:09
SDA
Quite a few stars are saying goodbye to the French Open in Paris this year. Richard Gasquet, who progressed on Monday, is playing his very last tournament. Caroline Garcia (31), once the world number 4, said goodbye on Monday. On Sunday, the organizations honoured the retired Rafael Nadal, the 14-time tournament winner, with a touching ceremony.
Stan Wawrinka (ATP 138) has never announced his retirement before. The 40-year-old from Vaud would like to continue playing. What is certain is that he wants to play in Gstaad in the summer. But still: His body language against Jacob Fearnley (ATP 55) indicated that "Stan the Man" is also slowly realizing that he can no longer win (or keep up) against more and more opponents at the highest level.
"No guarantee that I'll be back"
At the press conference after his match, Wawrinka said: "There's no guarantee that I'll be back in a year's time."
Wawrinka was playing at Roland Garros for the 20th time. Ten years ago, he celebrated one of his greatest victories in Paris: He took his second (of three) Grand Slam titles in four sets in the final against Novak Djokovic. There was little to remind him of this in his opening match against Jacob Fearnley. Wawrinka started strongly, overcame an early break deficit (0:2) and came within two points of winning the set five times in the first set. However, Wawrinka was not able to get a set point. And after 6:7 (6:8) in the first set after 63 minutes, Wawrinka's resistance was already fading.
"The end is near"
"I'm sitting here facing them," Wawrinka told the media, "and I know that I'm very close to the end of my career. I'm not stopping here and now. But every week that end gets closer and closer."
Wawrinka boosted his morale at the beginning of May when he reached the final of a well-attended Challenger tournament in Aix-en-Provence with four wins, which he lost by a wafer-thin margin to Borna Coric in the third set tie-break. "I'm very happy with my current form, especially considering my age," said Wawrinka on Monday in Paris. Since Aix-en-Provence, however, Wawrinka has already lost again to two Brits who play better on grass than on clay. Fearnley, one of this season's rising stars, almost tore Wawrinka apart in the Stade Roland-Garros.
"... instead of just playing"
"Of course, today was extremely disappointing and frustrating - both physically and in terms of tennis technique. I lacked self-confidence. That makes me hesitate in matches. I ask myself too many questions and think far too much - instead of just playing tennis."
