Wawrinka's final French Open ends with first-round loss

Former champion Stan Wawrinka’s final appearance at Roland Garros ended with a first-round defeat Monday, as the 41-year-old Swiss fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to lucky loser Jesper de Jong of the Netherlands on a sunbaked Court Simonne-Mathieu.

Wawrinka, who announced he will retire at the end of the 2026 season, made his 21st and last appearance at the French Open, a tournament he won in 2015. The three-time Grand Slam champion received an extended ovation from fans and a formal on-court tribute after the match, which lasted just over three hours under temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius.

“It’s hard, it’s hard to say goodbye to you here,” Wawrinka told the crowd. “It’s because of Roland Garros that I wanted to become a tennis player.”

The tribute included a video montage of his career highlights and messages from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Gael Monfils. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo and French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton joined Wawrinka on court, where he was presented with a glass trophy displaying the layers of a clay court.

Wawrinka’s opponent, de Jong, urged the crowd to applaud the Swiss veteran after the...