"I never expected to achieve so much success in tennis, although I also didn't set limits"

Fernando Murciego | 25 May 2026 | 19.29

Wawrinka's words after saying goodbye to Roland Garros. Source: Getty

Streaming French Open live tennis

🎾 Sebastian Baez vs Roman Andres Burruchaga

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

A day to cry happily after the farewell of Stan Wawrinka from Roland Garros, honored in a big way after his defeat against De Jong and then embraced by the entire press in the press room.

A twist, that's how long Stan Wawrinka lasted in his last Roland Garros. Jesper de Jong didn't give him much respite, immersed in a match marked by emotion and nostalgia. The Parisian stands filled with tissues freely given, honoring the 2015 Roland Garros champion, a man who left an indelible mark here in that final against Djokovic. Clearly distressed upon leaving Simonne-Mathieu, the Swiss man's only task remained meeting with the journalists. And this is what he said.

Paris rallies behind Stan Wawrinka

"It always surprises me to receive so much affection and support from other players, fans, or tournaments in general. I've been on the circuit for over 20 years—when I was young, my dream was to be a professional tennis player, to be among the top 100, to have the opportunity to play in these tournaments—but I never expected to achieve such success in tennis. I never set limits; I always wanted more. I always step onto the court to seek more, to surpass myself, to overcome my own limits, and to find my own way to achieve it. So, I am happy and proud of what I have accomplished all these years. Today was very tough; it's never easy to say goodbye to something you love so much and have dedicated your whole life to."

The reason for being on the court

"For me, it has always been about pure love, pure passion, and the pure dream of continuing to surpass myself. As I said, I never set out to be number one or to win Grand Slams. As a child, when I started playing, when I wanted to dedicate my life to tennis, my goal was to be among the top 100, to play Grand Slams, to play the big tournaments. I have always been passionate about tennis and the life on the circuit. When we are there, it is an incredible life: traveling the world, playing the most important tournaments, and having the opportunity to play in front of so many fans. So, I never imagined thinking about making history in tennis, reaching a certain level, breaking records, winning Grand Slams, or anything like that. For me, it was always about myself—how can I be a better tennis player? How can I surpass myself? How can I overcome my own limits? How can I start beating the Big Four?"

Memories of his 2015 title

"I've never watched it in full; I've seen some highlights to feel good about my tennis, about my game. Sometimes I watch it to think that maybe I can do it again, but unfortunately, it's not that easy. You know, no matter the level you have or the stage of your career you are in, when you're in the game, you have to seize the momentum, so you have to give your best. At that moment, I wasn't thinking, 'Wow, amazing! I'm playing very well, or this is special.' I was focused on trying to beat the number one at that time, the best player in history in a Grand Slam final, in Roland Garros, someone who probably watched all previous finals. So, that was a special moment, but at the same time, I knew, while I was playing and stepping onto the court, that I had everything to beat him. I knew my level, I had confidence in my mind, in my physical condition, and in my tennis game to achieve it."

Why is Roland Garros more important than other tournaments?

"This place is at the top, of course. For many reasons, not only for 2015, but also because it is the only junior tournament I participated in and won. I grew up watching Roland Garros; I'm from Switzerland, from the French-speaking part, and the dream at that time of year was to return from school, turn on French television, and watch it all night, all day until late. As a child, I enjoyed it a lot, so at that time, I saw the Spanish Armada, incredible players. I grew up playing on clay courts; until 2003 or 2004, I only played clay court tournaments throughout the year because I also played a lot in Spain. So, of course, for me, the French Open will always be different from other tournaments."

Peaceful with his career

"I always did my best in my career to have no regrets, although you can always find some small regret. I think when I joined the circuit and Roger was already there, I saw it as a great opportunity, a real opportunity as a young Swiss player, to share the court, the training, share knowledge, and learn from the best player. He was number 1, already at the top, and then the opportunity came to play Davis Cup, to play the Olympics, thanks to him, I also have a gold medal from the Olympics. In general, I am a person who is normally very positive, so I always see the positive side of everything. For me, it was an incredible opportunity to join the circuit and spend 20 years with Roger there."

Stan Wawrinka analyzes his farewell from Roland Garros. Source: Getty

No plans for 2027

"There are several things I know I'm going to do, but I did it on purpose. I considered many options because I want to finish this year in the best possible way, I want to focus on tennis until the end of the year. I want to continue living and thinking about tennis. If I want to maintain the same level until the end of the year, that is important to me. And then, when the year ends, I want to take some time to reflect on these 25 years of my career and understand this chapter of my life so far. And then, to know what I want to do when I have a full day ahead of me, when I have many days to think about this, maybe I need some time before."

Satisfied with the image he has projected on the court

"I am glad to hear these things; that's how I am. I have always been honest with everyone; in general, I am a good person. I have always tried to share this with others, and I was lucky to play tennis for 25 years. I was so lucky because I am passionate about this sport, and I have always tried to convey this message—with passion, with work, and with the desire I was able to achieve results that you could never have imagined when you were a child. Being a tennis player is something special; we all know each other, train together, but we are also rivals. So, you have to find or understand the limits, I mean the emotions you can have with some colleagues, friends, and other players. But I have always been someone who says, 'Okay, let's train together, we will meet several times'. The best thing is that we want things not to end in rivalries; we don't want any hatred. We can play for 25 years getting along with almost everyone."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “Nunca esperé alcanzar tanto éxito en el tenis, aunque tampoco me puse límites”