“I don’t really care” Jo-Wilfried Tsonga unbothered by potential empty stands ahead of his final match at the 2022 French Open
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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Roland Garros, a year back due to Covid did not serve well for French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as the stands were empty when he played against Japanese tennis player Yoshihito Nishioka and unfortunately lost. Tsonga’s dreams of progressing in what many felt would be his final French Open competition were crushed when he was beaten in 4-sets by Yoshihito.
Injuries limited the 36-year-playing old’s time in 2020, and he had hinted that his time in the sport is coming to an end. Tsonga, an Olympic silver medalist for France, a runner-up in the Australian Open, and the winner of 18 titles in a 17-year career, earned a standing ovation befitting perhaps the country’s finest male player of the previous two decades.
Tsonga left Roland Garros to just a handful of officials who were allowed to remain in the stands due to the inexplicable decision by organizers to schedule his match during the night session when a 9 pm Covid-19 curfew kicked in and forced the spectators to leave the stadiums.
On day two, the Frenchman was curiously slated to play last, which meant that supporters were almost certainly forced to leave before his match was completed. If Tsonga’s Roland Garros goodbye was true, it was a heartbreaking way for the Frenchman to leave his home tournament. Tennis fans, predictably, blamed organizers for the scheduling snafu that led to Tsonga’s unpleasant circumstance.
However, when the 36-year-old was asked about his feelings ahead of his retirement after the 2022 French Open, he said, “The important thing for me was to win the match, to do what I love to do, to go to this Suzanne court. The absence of the public did not matter. At the time, I did not think at all that I was going to stop. It was just a fact. I have no regrets about this match.
“I don’t blame the management at all for scheduling the match on this court, because the important thing for me was to play my match and try to win. Physically, I was not at my best at all, but I wanted to give myself the opportunity to go a little further, I needed to play matches, it was important for me.”
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga answers some burning questions
There were some impressive victories, particularly against Roger Federer in the 2016 quarter-finals. When asked about some of his most memorable moments in Monaco, the 36-year-old, Jo- Wilfried Tsonga said that it was especially amusing during the short evenings with just the players who were not on the Tour, with the drawings and disguises.
Tennis is played here, there is a wonderful view, the weather is good, and it is the start of spring… A unique and enjoyable experience and in any event, he doesn’t regret anything and claims he is a fairly balanced individual who has built a profession that has been well received by the general public.
Another statement that was put forward to him was what he felt when he got the recognition when he announced he was retiring. He said that he was honored and that there was a lot of goodwill in the dressing room. All in all, it is confirmed that the French player’s last match on Roland Garros will be on his home ground and we hope that, it is a memorable and a match with which he can be satisfied.
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Harini Mahesh
(159 Articles Published)