The legendary Swiss feted after last Roland-Garros match
In his prime Stan Wawrinka was one of the few players to hold a candle to the Big Three. On his best days, even the Big Three couldn’t hold a candle to him.
“The Stanimal”, a playful moniker coined by none other than the great Roger Federer, could not have been more apt. “Stan the Man” was thunder in human form, regularly uncoiling one of the most booming one-handed backhands that the sport has ever seen to the tune of awestruck groans.
He was grit personified, playing with finger-to-temple intensity from first ball to last as he rose to the top of the men’s game and became an icon for his swashbuckling brand of tennis, his fun-loving personality and his ability to stand toe-to-toe with the most lethal trio that the sport has ever witnessed.
On Monday, Wawrinka reached the end of his road in Paris, losing to Jesper de Jong 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in front of throngs of adoring fans who feted him during the match and through the entirety of his post-match ceremony, which featured a special message from Federer as well as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, seven-time champion Carlos Alcaraz and Gael Monfils.
“I am impressed by all that you accomplished,” Federer said. “Enjoy your moment.”
“You have been so inspirational to me and for many other players,” said Djokovic. “I’m very honored to call you a friend.”
In 2014, Wawrinka was 28 years old when he stepped on to Rod Laver Arena for a quarterfinal againt defending champion Djokovic, the phenom who had defeated him on 14 consecutive occasions. Wawrinka’s epic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 victory didn’t just snap Djokovic’s 28-match winning streak, it also unleashed peak Wawrinka – the very best version of the powerhouse from Lausanne had arrived.
Wawrinka fired past Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final for his first major title, then carried that new-found swagger into Paris 15 months later, scoring another victory over peaking Djokovic in the final.
Djokovic was the force that held sway at the top of the sport, but hurricane Wawrinka blew through court Philippe-Chatrier, producing an earth-shattering 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory that etched him into the fabric of the Parisian Slam for eternity.
“All I can do is to say, Well done,” Djokovic said after the loss. “He deserves it.”
The legend of the Stanimal had room to run.
A year and a half later, ranked at a career-high No.3, he would go through Djokovic again (his third win in a Grand Slam final against a reigning world No.1), defeating the Serbian in four sets to raise the US Open trophy – a third major title in three years for the Swiss.
One hundred and sixty Grand Slam match wins – and counting – and 46 in Paris highlight Wawrinka’s Grand Slam resume. Here at Porte d’Auteuil he earned 11 five-set wins, a number outdistanced only by Monfils (12), and reached the second week eight times.
During an 18-2 run in Paris that lasted three years, Wawrinka won the title in 2015, reached the 2016 semifinal and fell to King of Clay Nadal in the 2017 final.
A true disruptor. A true tennis warrior. A true hero.
“It’s hard,” an emotional Wawrinka told the crowd. “I don’t want to say goodbye to you here.”
The feeling is mutual.
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
