When Jesper de Jong came onto the court for his first round match at Roland Garros, there was certainly applause. And his nice points were really appreciated by the audience. But the reactions were completely insignificant compared to how the packed stands exploded as soon as his opponent appeared. Rarely has De Jong been allowed to play in front of such an enthusiastic audience, but the fans did not come for him.
The crowd tried hard to drag favorite Stanislas Wawrinka through the match. The 41-year-old Swiss was champion in Paris in 2015, where he surprisingly won against Novak Djokovic in the final. He won three Grand Slam titles in his career. He is currently in his last year as a professional tennis player. Jesper de Jong’s victory (6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4) meant his very last match at Roland Garros.
De Jong did not seem to be too nervous about the situation. He started the game well; There was peace in his game, he built up rallies well without forcing too much, and he made great use of his opponent’s weaknesses. Wawrinka no longer moves nearly as fast as he did in the prime of his career and De Jong regularly let him run. The Swiss often fell just one step short. With a nice and well-timed drop shot, the Dutchman managed to take a break lead early in the set. That break was ultimately enough to win the set.
Lucky Loser
It would not have mattered much or De Jong would not have been here at all, on Court Simonne-Mathieu. After a difficult start to the season, his place in the world rankings was not high enough to guarantee him a spot in the main draw, so he had to play the qualifying tournament. After two hard-fought victories, he failed in the third and final round. The Grand Slam dream seemed very far away.
Ultimately he was saved by the Frenchman Arthur Fils, who announced just before the start of the tournament that he had to withdraw from the tournament injured. A big disappointment for the French public, but De Jong will not have felt that disappointment: due to Fils’ withdrawal, the Dutchman was allowed to play as a so-called lucky loser still participate in the main tournament. And he immediately came up against Wawrinka.
When you walk onto the track and you hear the crowd going wild at his name, these are sounds you would rather not hear when you are standing opposite them.
In the second set the Swiss had more opportunities, and the audience felt it too; the buzz in the stands increased, the reactions to Wawrinka’s points became more and more explosive. De Jong kept his service games, but that was significantly more difficult than in set one, and at 4-3 it was no longer possible. The set went to Wawrinka, the entire French audience went wild. They weren’t ready for the Swiss legend’s farewell yet.
Also read
As a child, tennis player Jesper de Jong was never the best – and that may be a good thing
“The fact that you walk onto the track and you hear the crowd going wild at his name, these are sounds that you would rather not hear when you are standing opposite them,” De Jong himself said afterwards. “But I think mentally I did it perfectly.”
De Jong kept his focus and recovered. In the third and fourth sets he was clearly the better player, even though he initially had to give up a break lead. No matter how hard the crowd tried, they couldn’t help Wawrinka anymore. A miraculous comeback was no longer possible.
Difficult season
The 26-year-old Dutchman is having a difficult season; Last year he broke into the top hundred and his goal for 2026 was to reach the top fifty. But that goal became further and further out of sight. Tournament after tournament, De Jong failed in the first round, or even before: De Jong had not won an ATP match all year. And he therefore fell short for direct participation in Roland Garros. The Dutchman was the highest placed qualifier.
It’s up to me to show that I’ve been around for a while
If lucky loser De Jong achieved his first ATP victory of the year, but that is not what will stay with him. “I see it as a very nice victory in a beautiful atmosphere, something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” he said afterwards. “It’s something that gives you goosebumps: a three-time Grand Slam winner who lets you play his last match at a tournament he won.”
After this victory, there are opportunities for the Dutchman. In the second round he will play against Italian qualifier Federico Cinà, number 238 in the world. Cinà has qualified for a Grand Slam tournament for the first time and has also recorded his first victory. “So he is on a pink cloud,” says De Jong. “It’s up to me to show that I have been around a little longer. Let it go to five sets, then I hope to show that I am fit enough.”
