Stan Wawrinka lost his final French Open match 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Jesper de Jong on May 25, 2026, at Roland Garros. The 41-year-old Swiss player carried a piece of fabric from his iconic 2015 French Open shorts sewn to his shirt during the match, honoring his career highlight. Wawrinka said, "It's always tough to choose, but yes, it's there, because it was Roland Garros and it was the final against Djokovic - number one at that time. I believe it was the best of my life." Jesper de Jong paid tribute after the match: "It's not about me today... it's all about Stan today, especially the way he fought." Wawrinka plans to retire after the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel in October 2026, ending a pro career spanning more than 20 years [1, 2, 3].
On the same day, 39-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils lost his opening round French Open match 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0 to fellow French player Hugo Gaston. Monfils described his long history at Roland Garros: "Every year I come to play at the French Open, I get goosebumps. Every time, I say to myself 'this is magical'. I've created something powerful, unique, exceptional. I'm going to miss you." Gaston responded, "There is joy but mostly sadness, I'm so sorry for you, Gael. I want to congratulate you, thank you for all you have done for us, the young players, and for your incredible career. You're a French legend, a legend of our sport." Monfils also plans to retire at the end of the 2026 season [4, 5]. Both players received standing ovations and tributes from the crowd recognizing their long and successful careers at Roland Garros [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Elsewhere in the 2026 French Open, Iga Swiatek steadily advanced, reaching the third round by May 27 and the fourth round by May 29. Swiatek said she focused on patience and consistency: "Sometimes I just wanted to be really patient because it’s really easy in these conditions to go for a winner and then miss, so I wanted to stay solid ... For sure my forehand top spin did the right job. But overall I am happy with the second serve and the way I was solid." Novak Djokovic also reached the third round by May 27, praising his opponent Valentin for his performance. Djokovic joked, "I hope I won't play any more French players for the rest of the tournament." [3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
French women had their poorest performance since 1981, with only two advancing to the second round. The tournament's fourth round included Swiatek and Alexander Zverev, with the notable absence of top seeds Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic due to earlier exits [11, 12]. Casper Ruud commented on the open field, "It's such an open tournament, which is kind of refreshing for everyone, and to see that there will be a new slam champion in about a week or so... I have an incredible task ahead of me with a young special talent like Joao." [12]
Wawrinka and Monfils' retirements later this season mark the end of two major careers in men's tennis. Both will play their final professional matches at events scheduled through October 2026, with Wawrinka set to end his career at the Swiss Indoors in Basel [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
