Stan Wawrinka, who won three major tennis titles back then, and French veteran player Richard Gasquet were part of the eight men who were given special invitations, also known as wild cards, to compete at this season’s French Open.
40-year-old Wawrinka achieved his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 2014. Furthermore, he then went on to win the French Open title in 2015 and the US Open in 2016.
Moreover, Richard Gasquet will be having his final French Open appearance. The 38-year-old athlete from France was once ranked No. 7 in 2007, and was deemed as one of the promising athletes who might win a Grand Slam.
Unfortunately, he never managed to reach a final stage, only making it to the semifinals twice–Wimbledon and at the US Open. Regardless of this, he had a successful tennis career, having won 16 ATP Tour titles and played a key role in helping France win the Davis Cup in 2017.
List of wild cards for the French Open
|
Men’s singles (main draw) |
|
| Name | Country |
| Terence Atmane | France |
| Arthur Cazaux | France |
| Richard Gasquet | France |
| Pierre-Hugues Herbert | France |
| Emilio Nava | United States |
| Valentin Royer | France |
| Tristan Schoolkate | Australia |
| Stan Wawrinka | Switzerland |
|
Women’s singles (main draw) |
|
| Name | Country |
| Destanee Aiava | Australia |
| Lois Boisson | France |
| Elsa Jacquemot | France |
| Leolia Jeanjean | France |
| Iva Jovic | United States |
| Chloe Paquet | France |
| Diane Parry | France |
| Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah | France |
Other tournament updates
Jannik Sinner is now back on the court and making a strong comeback at the Italian Open. He defeated Argentina’s Mariano Navone with a final scoreline of 6-3, 6-4 in his first match since the suspension. This win was added to Sinner’s winning streak, now having 23 matches. Alongside his impressive performance at the Italian Open, which highlighted his determination and resilience as an athlete, his Italian home crowd also welcomed him back with so much joy and excitement.
The Italian tennis star said the support he got from the home crowd was the best he’s ever felt. Among the 10,500 fans cheering for him were his parents, who watched as the crowd welcomed him with loud cheers. After his win, Sinner wrote “Che bello” (which means “How beautiful”) on a camera lens as a small gesture to show his happiness and thankfulness to his fans.
Read related: Jannik Sinner enjoys awaited comeback with a hard-fought victory at the Italian Open
Moreover, Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Italian Open and will enter the Roland Garros without a single win on this year’s clay season. The athlete has previously won the French Open three times.
Read related: Novak Djokovic withdraws from the Italian Open, days before the French Open