PARIS – Andy Murray was eliminated in the first round of the French Open on Sunday night, losing to an enthusiastic Stan Wawrinka in straight sets.
The two have each won three Grand Slams, but in this duel of veterans with a combined age of 76, it was Wawrinka who came out on top, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in 2 hours and 19 minutes.
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“Disappointed, it was always clear it was going to be tough, a tough match,” Murray said. “Stan has played brilliant tennis on this court and I expected him to play very well tonight but he gave me very few chances. I wish I could have done a bit better – disappointed, but I didn't have extremely high expectations considering how the preparation went beforehand.”
“Physically, tennis is not easy for me at the moment. It is hard and clay has been my surface since the beginning of my career. I had back problems on clay and I'm used to it.”
It was a tennis match that was more like a heavyweight clash as the pair traded powerful groundstrokes and the odd drop shot broke things up as the duo defied their age and captivated the packed crowd. But it was the 39-year-old Wawrinka who prevailed and booked his place in the second round.
Wawrinka was largely in control, his backhand perfect as he pushed Murray around Court Philippe-Chatrier, and he received most of his support from the French crowd, who have been favourites in this area since he won the tournament in 2015.
Wawrinka said of Murray afterwards: “It was definitely emotional; we are nearing the end. We have played against each other so many times over the last 20 years. He is an incredible guy. An incredible player and such a great fighter. We have a lot of respect for each other.”
“I think I played my best game of the year. I played aggressively and I'm super happy with my performance.”
This was always going to be a walkover for Murray, 37. This was only his second visit to Roland Garros in singles in the last seven years – his best result here in Paris was reaching the final in 2016, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. But eight years later, it was Wawrinka – who won the title here in 2015 – who stopped him in the first round.
Andy Murray's participation in the French Open was in doubt after an injury in March. Mateo Villalba/Getty Images
This is widely expected to be Murray's final year on tour after he said in February that he did not plan to “play much beyond this summer,” a period that includes another attempt at the Paris Olympics in August. But just like Rafael Nadal, Murray has not confirmed that this will definitely be his last French Open.
There were doubts as to whether Murray would be fit in time for Roland Garros after tearing ligaments in his ankle at the Miami Open in March. At the time, conservative estimates put his recovery time at between 10 and 12 weeks, putting his chances of competing in the French Open and Wimbledon in doubt.
However, the injury healed faster than expected and he ended up missing competitions for six weeks. During that time, he considered buying a different racket. He tested 10 different options that he bought in Florida and decided to abandon the Head rackets he had used throughout his career and switch to a Yonex Ezone 100 racket, which offers more power.
Murray competed in a Challenger event in Bordeaux in mid-May, losing in the second round to Gregoire Barrere. He also competed in the Geneva Open, but lost in the first round to Yannick Hanfmann. With a record of 1-2 on clay, he went into the French Open, where he was drawn against his old rival Wawrinka.
The two know each other well, and with Murray competing sporadically at the French Open in recent years due to injuries and fitness issues, his last two matches at Roland Garros were both against Wawrinka. The two met in the 2017 semifinals – a match Wawrinka won 6-7 (6), 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-1 – and then again in the first round in 2020, where Wawrinka won in straight sets.
Murray had an overall record of 13-9 against Wawrinka, but the experienced Swiss started better, breaking Murray's serve in the opening game and converting a third break point.
Murray failed to capitalize on a break point in the fourth set and battled to win with powerful baseline shots. Wawrinka fended off a break point in the fourth game and kept Murray spinning back and forth to mix things up. He hit a one-two punch in the sixth game with a dropshot winner and then a stunning backhand smash down the line to the next point.
Murray then managed to fend off three break points in the seventh set and at the same time alert the umpire to a distraction in the crowd in order to hold his serve. The two continued to fight, Murray fended off two set points in the tenth set, but Wawrinka closed out that set 6-4 in 53 minutes.
The second set was similar. As the temperature dropped – with people on the courtside courts wrapping themselves in blankets – Wawrinka continued to dictate the pace of the match, breaking Murray to take a 2-1 lead in the second set. Murray fought, trying to break serve while holding his own – and pulling together a brilliant sequence of shots to win the seventh set – but he could not get back into the set, and Wawrinka won the second set 6-4.
The start of the third set was delayed as Wawrinka took a medical timeout. All the while, Murray paced the baseline trying to keep warm. But Wawrinka showed no ill effects, breaking Murray in the first game of the third set with a backhand hit down the line. Wawrinka held serve and punished Murray's serve again in the third set, winning the second of three break points to take a 3-0 lead. Murray recovered a few games but he couldn't get a handle on Wawrinka's serve, and the Swiss won the third set 6-2 and the match with brutal efficiency.
For Murray, his time at Roland Garros is not over in these two weeks, as he will play in the men's doubles alongside fellow Briton Dan Evans.
Wawrinka's next step in the men's singles will be to play the winner of Monday's match between Cameron Norrie and Pavel Kotov.
