“Tsonga was very important for our sport,” Novak Djokovic pays tribute to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as the Frenchman announces retirement after the French Open
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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a French tennis player, has declared that he would retire after this year’s French Open. For the 15th and last time as a professional player, the former World No. 5 will participate in the historic clay-court Grand Slam. He’s also a three-time ATP Finals contender, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, and a 2008 Australian Open finalist.
Since becoming a professional in 2004, he has won 18 ATP championships, including two Masters 1000 tournaments. At the 2012 London Olympics, the 36-year-old also earned a silver medal in doubles. This French tennis star has also beat the likes of Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Therefore, it came as a shock that this extraordinary player decides to retire.
Of course, world no. 1 Novak Djokovic also had a few things to say on this topic. After all, the Serbian has played against Tsonga an impressive 23 times, with a 17-time win and 6-time loss count. World no. 1 Novak Djokovic said, “He has a lot of charisma, a lot of positive energy. I think Jo has been one of the coolest players we’ve had on the circuit in the last twenty years. He was very important for our sport. This is sad news.
“But I think he knows his body perfectly well, and he has reasons to make this decision. I wish him a lot of happiness and all his family too. I know he has a tennis academy not far from that of Mouratoglou. I don’t worry about him once he quits,” said Djokovic during his media day at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters.
What is next for Jo-Wilfred Tsonga as he participates in Monte-Carlo alongside Novak Djokovic
Tsonga announced his decision of retiring “with tremendous emotion” on social media, surrounded by his family, after already discussing retirement earlier this season. In an interview with RFI ahead of the Open 13 Provence in Marseille, the 36-year-old said, “I still want to have a nice time on the court and prepare for my retirement.”
While he claimed to be pain-free at the time, injuries to his knee and back have taken their toll over the years. The French star admits to being “overwhelmed by emotions” before the start of the Monte Carlo Masters, and he has enough regrets looking back on his career. He said that he shut off everything as soon as he made the announcement. Because he didn’t want to be overwhelmed by emotions, he even switched off his phone and stopped checking on things. He added that he wants to save these feelings for when it’s finished
Wilfried Tsonga has long been a fan favorite on the circuit. Tsonga will make his 15th and last participation in his home major, rather than prolonging his career with the hopes of competing in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. He said, “I hope that I will stay in shape before and be able to be who I have always been at this tournament.”
“The goal is to be myself, to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga the tennis player. I like to perform well, and I have always wanted to play well. I have always set myself high goals to try to get what I can. For me, this will be the opportunity to do it one last time.” Roland Garros, for one, is ready to pay respect to Tsonga before he retires, with a video tribute on Twitter.
It is going to be a loss for the tennis world like what Nole said. But the 22 title winner and tennis star will now have his hands full with his two kids. Fans would sure miss seeing him play and his presence on the court. What do you all think?
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Harini Mahesh
(159 Articles Published)