By Chris Oddo | Monday, May 26, 2014

 

Stan Wawrinka was stunned by Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in his first Grand Slam match since winning the Australian Open, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.

Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/ Getty

In his first Grand Slam match since winning the Australian Open title in January, Stan Wawrinka was handed a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 thumping by Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Monday at the French Open.

According to the Roland Garros Men’s Information Team, Wawrinka is the first Australian Open champion to lose in the 1st round of the subsequent Roland Garros since Petr Korda in 1998.

“I think it's just a different story,” Wawrinka said. “Now it's a different picture for my career. I need to put the puzzle back together, but differently than in the past, because now it's, after winning Grand Slam, Masters 1000, being No. 3 in the world, everything is different, and I still didn't find all the pieces.”

The last Grand Slam champion to lose in the 1st round of their next major was reigning Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal at 2013 Wimbledon. Wawrinka is the first first-time men's Grand Slam winner to lose in the 1st round of their next major since Lleyton Hewitt lost in the 1st round at the 2002 Australian Open having won the 2001 US Open.

Garcia-Lopez, who won the Casablanca title in April before reaching the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals (he defeated Berdych and Dolgopolov back-to-back at Monte-Carlo), will face Adrian Mannarino of France in the second round.