PARIS — A year ago, dressed in a pair of garish pink-and-gray plaid shorts that became a symbol of his success, Stan Wawrinka made the French Open his own by stunning Novak Djokovic in the final.
This year, Wawrinka came dressed in a fluorescent yellow-green shirt atop black shorts that made him stand vividly against the red clay of Roland Garros.
But Wawrinka did not need any special attire to gain attention, not after being the previous year’s surprise winner. What he almost gained was the unwelcome glare of becoming the first defending champion to lose in the first round of the French Open.