Tournament organizers have officially announced that veteran fan favorites Stan Wawrinka and Gaël Monfilshave been granted wild cards for the upcoming 2026 French Open. Both legendary players have openly declared their intentions to retire from professional tennis at the conclusion of the 2026 season. This wildcard ensures they will make a highly sentimental, final career appearance on the historic red clay courts of Roland Garros later this month.

The 41 year old Wawrinka, a former world No. 3 who memorably captured the Roland Garros singles title back in 2015, is currently ranked 125th in the world. Meanwhile, France's own 39-year-old Monfils, who reached the semi finals in Paris in 2008, will wave goodbye to his passionate home crowd from his current ranking of world No. 222. Special post match ceremonies are being structured on the main courts to honor their immense contributions to the sport immediately following their final matches.

While the inclusion of these veterans has delighted tennis purists, the men's singles draw has simultaneously suffered a major competitive blow. Former world No. 4 Holger Rune officially withdrew from the French Openas he fails to recover fully from surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. Rune stated that while skipping the clay court swing was an incredibly tough pill to swallow, it remains the mathematically correct choice to preserve his health for the grass season.