Paris – 25.05.2026: The sun beats down on the red clay of Court Simonne Mathieu as Jesper de Jong, the 25-year-old Dutchman, prepares for his first Grand Slam match of the year. Having entered the main draw of Roland-Garros as a “Lucky Loser,” he had the chance to play against 41-year-old Swiss Stan Wawrinka, who wanted to say goodbye to the fans in his final tournament appearance in Paris. But De Jong had other plans.
The Dutchman’s path to the main draw was anything but ordinary. After a loss in the final qualifying round against American Michael Zheng, he moved up due to the withdrawal of Arthur Fils. “I was shaking and sweating…” De Jong admitted when he learned of the opportunity to play in the main draw. “It was a mixture of nervousness and excitement.”
Despite the nerves, De Jong showed an impressive performance in the first set. With precise groundstrokes and smart placements, he secured the first set 6-3. Wawrinka, who had won Roland-Garros in 2015, was not so easily shaken off. He fought back and won the second set 6-3.
The match remained exciting, but De Jong kept the upper hand. With another 6-3 in the third set and a close 6-4 in the fourth, he secured the victory and ended Wawrinka’s final Roland-Garros campaign. “It was an emotional moment for me to win against a player like Stan,” said De Jong after the match. “I have great respect for him and his career.”
For Wawrinka, it was a moving farewell. After the match, he received a standing ovation from the spectators and an emotional video tribute. “I gave everything for tennis and accept that it is the right time to move on,” said the three-time Grand Slam champion.
De Jong, who is currently ranked 109th in the world, has steadily improved over the past years. In January 2025, he reached his first ATP semifinal in Montpellier and climbed to 98th in the world rankings. His performances at Grand Slam tournaments, including reaching the second round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, show his potential on the big stage.
The “Lucky Loser” status is a second chance for many players. Generally, players who lose in the last qualifying round are admitted to the main draw as “Lucky Losers” when an originally qualified player withdraws. For De Jong, this was an opportunity to prove himself on the biggest stage in tennis.
With this victory, De Jong advances to the second round of Roland-Garros and will face the winner of the match between Alexander Zverev and Jack Draper. It remains to be seen whether he can continue his impressive performance.