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FILE – Gael Monfils of France plays a forehand return to Dane Sweeny of Australia during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 20, 2026.<\/p>\n
Dita Alangkara\/AP<\/p>\n
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland serves a ball during a training session at the ATP 250 Geneva Open tournament, in Geneva, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi\/Keystone via AP)<\/p>\n
Salvatore Di Nolfi\/Salvatore Di Nolfi\/Keystone via <\/p>\n
Stan Wawrinka, from Switzerland, returns a ball to Alex Michelsen, of the United States, during a round of 16 match at the Geneva Open tennis tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Martial Trezzini\/Keystone via AP)<\/p>\n
Martial Trezzini\/Martial Trezzini\/Keystone via AP<\/p>\n
PARIS (AP) \u2014 Their legs don\u2019t move as fast on the red clay. They recover more slowly. But the French public still loves them just as much.<\/p>\n
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Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils have been involved in some of the most memorable matches in recent Roland Garros history. The two veterans are back at the French Open for a final dance at the Grand Slam tournament after announcing they will retire at the end of the season.<\/p>\n
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Both players have slipped down the rankings. A three-time Grand Slam champion, the 41-year-old Wawrinka won the title in 2015 and is now ranked No. 119. Aged 39, Monfils reached the semifinals in Paris in 2008 and made it to the quarterfinals on three other occasions. He is No. 221 and has received a wild card to play in Paris.<\/p>\n
Renowned for his spectacular style of play, fighting spirit and remarkable athleticism, Monfils is a crowd favorite at his home Grand Slam tournament, where, like Wawrinka, he debuted more than 20 years ago. \u201cLa Monf\u201d has rarely disappointed his Paris fans, even if he’s never matched the feat of Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win Roland Garros \u2014 in 1983.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was not strong enough to win a Grand Slam\u201d Monfils told his fans during a tribute at Roland Garros this week. \u201cBut I perhaps won more. I won a career that I’m proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Never say die<\/p>\n Since 2005, Monfils has amassed a 40-17 record at the clay-court tournament, which starts Sunday. He faces compatriot Hugo Gaston in the first round<\/p>\n Three years ago, he arrived in Roland Garros coming back from heel surgery, ranked No. 394 and without a Grand Slam match win in more than a year. He battled Sebastian Baez for nearly four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier before beating the Argentine in an epic first-round match.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The script was even more dramatic last year when he recovered from two-sets-to-love down against Hugo Dellien to become the player with the most five-set match victories on the clay courts of Roland Garros (12) in the Open era.<\/p>\n Ukrainian player Elena Svitolina, who married Monfils in 2021, expects her husband to relish his final outing at Roland Garros.<\/p>\n \u201cFor him having a French crowd is something that he always dreamed when he was a little kid to play the big matches, to play together,\u201d Svitolina said. \u201cThey carry you through the matches. I think for the past years he experienced something amazing. He always remembers that. For him will be a lot of nerves, but I think he already settled (a) little bit down with it. Just going to enjoy and give it his best shot, the last one.\u201d<\/p>\n Wawrinka’s stunning feat and shorts<\/p>\n Wawrinka, nicknamed \u201cStan the Man,\u201d appeals to the French crowd in many ways. His down-to-earth, no-holds-barred way of speaking immediately resonates with the Parisian public \u2014 his native tongue is French \u2014 while his immaculate one-handed backhand still captivates the game\u2019s purists.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI grew up on clay, grew up watching clay-court specialists, I grew up watching Roland Garros dreaming about maybe playing one day. It is part of me,\u201d Wawrinka said in an interview with French Open organizers.<\/p>\n Wawrinka is set for his 21st appearance at Roland Garros. He faces rising French star Arthur Fils, the 17th seed, in the first round.<\/p>\n Wawrinka’s stunning 2015 run, when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final after downing Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, is fondly remembered by tennis aficionados.<\/p>\n \u201cActually, I didn\u2019t arrive that year confident, entering matches knowing I could win,” said Wawrinka, the former world No. 3 who also reached the final in 2017. “On the court, I just stayed in the moment and found my best tennis. It couldn\u2019t have been more special, especially with that level of play against Novak.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n His fans also did not forget the pink-checkered shorts he wore that year.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just like everybody talk about that shorts,\u201d Wawrinka said after his win. \u201cI quite like them. Apparently I\u2019m the only one. They will be in the museum of Roland Garros. You will see my shorts every day if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether the (in)famous shorts make one final appearance on court this year remains to be seen.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/a>
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