“Almost everything won”
Because it is indeed one of the most beautiful prize lists of French tennis which will hang up the rackets. With 18 titles since its debut in 2004, the trophy cabinet is well stocked, with in particular two Masters 1000 (Paris and Toronto). Only Yannick Noah with 23 tournaments won has done better. Long considered his heir, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ultimately failed only one step from the closed circle of Grand Slam winners, of which Noah is a part. “I won almost everything. But this quest for the Grand Slam will have been the way and the means to surpass myself to live incredible moments. Obviously I would have been proud to hold up the trophy in front of the French, in front of the family, in front of the whole world. I tell myself that history is like that, ”put the former French No. 1 into perspective on Wednesday with L’Equipe.
“He’s the person I was inspired by. I shaped my game around his.”
Despite a final at the Australian Open and five semi-finals in Majors, the former world No. 5 has always come up against the “Big 4” (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray) who have left only crumbs since the early 2000s. “Unfortunately, he came across exceptional players, including three with 20 Grand Slam titles or more, underlines Bordeaux native Loïc Courteau, former coach of Amélie Mauresmo and Lucas Pouille. In these conditions, it’s difficult to make your way to the top. We often hear that he has never won a Grand Slam but we also have to see the context”.
A global aura
So what mark will Jo-Wilfried Tsonga leave in the history of French tennis, among Forget, Leconte, Pioline or Grosjean? “For me, he is in the top 3, answers Loïc Courteau, who coached the French Davis Cup team, victorious in 2017 with Tsonga. Behind Yannick Noah, it’s between him and Cédric Pioline who made two Grand Slam finals. Jo had an incredible career and made a lasting impression on the landscape of French tennis”. His aura extends even beyond. “Jo” Tsonga inspired part of the new generation. Last February, the former French No. 1 lost in Marseille to Félix Auger-Aliassime, World No. 9. “Seeing Jo in the face, the guy I’ve admired all my career and still admire today, enthused the 21-year-old Canadian. At the end of the match, I told him that he was my childhood idol. »
In 2020, Nick Kyrgios also confided that Tsonga was his “model, and he still is”. “He’s the person I took inspiration from for my game. I shaped my game around his, big serves and big forehands. I played him once at the Australian Open, it was a very special feeling. When I saw it I swear I was so stressed,” the 26-year-old Australian confessed. In a few weeks, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be retired but his legacy will live on on the ATP circuit. Co-founder and director of the All In Tennis Academy, he will also continue to transmit to the next generation of French tennis.
