The scene had left its mark. In June 2025, after his defeat against Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros, Novak Djokovic left the court in an unusual manner. Smile on your lips, almost peaceful attitudefar from the frustration that the Serbian champion often showed in these kinds of moments. An outing that did not go unnoticed.
Consultant for Prime Video that evening,
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did not hide his surprise. The former world number five, who knows perfectly the codes of the very high level, wondered aloud about what he had just seen. And his words immediately made tennis fans react.
Tsonga surprised by Novak Djokovic’s attitude
Faced with the images, Tsonga delivered a very spontaneous analysis, almost destabilized by the behavior of the Serb nicknamed Nole. “To tell the truth, I never saw him do what he did this (Friday) evening so that still raises the question:
Doesn’t he feel in his head that it’s a bit the latter?“he says straight away. A sentence full of meaning, as Novak Djokovic has built his career on a rage to win that is rarely faulted.
Tsonga continues by highlighting a detail that particularly struck him. “We see that he is happy and see a Novak come out of a match like thatthis is not common.”
For the former Australian Open finalist, this attitude could reflect something deeper.
“Isn’t it said that the handover is made by having a great match and taking three sets against a monster?” A reflection which fuels the debate on the end of an era dominated by the Big Three.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga never minced his words
This franchise is nothing new for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. A few months later, on January 7, 2026, the ex-player was talked about again
by responding curtly to
Patrick Mouratoglou. In question, an exchange around the current domination of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner compared to that of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Stung by the coach’s words, Tsonga reacted without filter in an Instagram story. “You have to respect a minimum of the player that I was by stating in your comments that I only played well for one season”
he had first said. Before driving the point home
“You are not the best person to correct me or give me lessons on high-level tennis.” A muscular outing, faithful to a former player who claims his experience on the court. Whether facing Novak Djokovic (who owns an expensive villa in Marbella) or Patrick Mouratoglou, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga speaks like a veteran of the circuit. Without tongue in cheek, with the look of someone who has entered the arena. And this is undoubtedly why his words continue to make so much noise.
