Stan Wawrinka spoke to a full crowd on Court Simonne-Mathieu moments after losing his first-round French Open match to Jesper de Jong. The loss marked his final match and moment in Paris before retiring at the end of the season. Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion and 2015 winner at Roland Garros, announced his retirement decision at the end of the previous year. A retirement ceremony took place on court with tournament director Amelie Mauresmo and French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton presenting a plaque. Video messages from Roger Federer, Jannik Sinner, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic were included. Wawrinka expressed surprise at the love and support he received and reflected on a career driven by ambition and pushing personal limits.
"When I was young, my dream was to be a professional player, to be in the top 100, to have the opportunity to play those tournaments. I never expected to achieve so big in tennis, but I never put any limit in my career. I always wanted more. I always walk out to get more, push myself, push my own limits, and try to find my own way to get there. So I'm happy and proud of what I achieved. Today it was really tough. It's never easy to say goodbye to something you love so much and you dedicate all your life for it. It was and it will be difficult to leave Roland Garros."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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