“Rafael Nadal has a tennis court in his garden and nobody calls him spoiled” Jo-Wilfried Tsonga hits out on media for calling French players ‘spoiled’
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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Rafael Nadal (Via IMAGO)
Former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is one of the most successful tennis players to represent France on the ATP Tour. With 18 career titles and has gone past the Round of 16 at all Slams, the 2008 Australian Open runner-up also led France to the 2014 Hopman Cup title and the 2017 Davis Cup title.
Tsonga has been struggling with fitness since the 2020 season. With the Pandemic restricting things further, the Frenchman has not been able to make a good comeback and is currently ranked outside the Top-200 of the ATP Rankings. As he plays in the main-draw by the virtue of wildcards, he is currently playing the Open 13 in Marseille.
In a recent interview with AFP, Tsonga lashed out at the media portrayal of the French quartet of ‘New Muskeeters‘, the moniker given to Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet. While the players had decent successes on the Tour, they could not deliver much at the Grand Slam events and team competitions and have often been criticised for being unjust to the potential they had.
“Me, I won a silver medal at the Games with a broken finger. That’s not the root of the problem. We always say that French players are spoiled rotten. Me, I’m not spoiled rotten! I come from the countryside, my dad is an immigrant, my parents have always lived on credit. I had an upbringing that was not strict and rigid, but upright. And today, who is predestined? A little guy all alone, left home, but who was 5th in the world, who made a Grand Slam final, who is now an investor?
“Rafa, his uncle was a great Barça player, his father is a renowned entrepreneur, they live in a place where there is the sea just down from his room, he has a tennis court in his garden, and we do not say that he is spoiled? But for us, they always come to break us, to tell us that we are not good, that we have no mind,” said Tsonga when asked ‘Do French players know how to hurt themselves enough to win?’ comparing his situation to Rafael Nadal who is now a 21-time Grand Slam champion.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga into 2nd round in Marseille
Tsonga was up against compatriot Gilles Simon in the first round and won the match 6-2, 6-4 to move into the second round of the tournament where he will take on the 3rd seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime who comes fresh from winning his first career ATP title at the 2022 Rotterdam Open last week.
Also Read: Muguruza, Swiatek stunned as top seeds tumble at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships 2022
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Sarthak Shitole
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