Wawrinka bids fond farewell to French Open

Wawrinka bids fond farewell to French OpenImage source, ReutersImage caption, Stan Wawrinka beat the world number one in the final of his three Grand Slam triumphsByRussell FullerTennis correspondent in ParisPublished25 May 2026, 15:38 BSTUpdated 14 minutes agoOne match does not define a man, but the ferocious barrage Stan Wawrinka unleashed on Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros in 2015 should forever be linked to his name.If the single-handed backhand has been Wawrinka's signature shot, then this was his signature match.The ball-striking was brutal and the win from a set down meant Djokovic would have to wait another year to complete the career Grand Slam.The Swiss completed his final Roland Garros on Monday, losing 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 to Jesper De Jong in front of a packed, vociferous crowd on a beautiful Parisian afternoon.Although Wawrinka will not retire until October's Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel, this was a fond farewell to the venue he believes witnessed the best match of his life."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," Wawrinka, 41, told BBC Sport at Roland Garros.If we remember the performance, we almost certainly also remember the shorts he was wearing.The red, white and grey plaid shorts have become iconic in tennis circles, and the surviving pairs have found good homes.There is one pair on display in the Roland Garros museum, while others were framed by Wawrinka for team members including long-term coach Magnus Norman.And Wawrinka carried a memento of those shorts in his final French Open outing, with a strip of the fabric sewn on to his shirt.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Stan Wawrinka wore a memento of his famous French Open shorts in his final Roland Garros appearanceWawrinka will retire as a three-time Grand Slam champion, having won his first major at the 2014 Austral...