One of the sport’s greatest entertainers, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga announced his retirement recently. The 36-year-old Frenchman said that he hopes to be fit enough to play till the French Open and would retire after a last shot at his home slam.
The Frenchman, who has been dealing with quite a lot of injuries over the last couple of years, said that while his heart wanted to play forever, his body was telling him to stop!
Tsonga has 18 career titles to his name and in an era dominated by the Big Three, he managed to make his own mark and space. While many experts had pinned him as a Grand Slam winner, he could not fulfill that dream. However, his skills on the court, especially with regards to his strong serve and his offensive baseline play are truly the signs of a genius in motion.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s rebirth as a person
In an interview, which has a homely vibe, Tsonga says that while this might signal the end of Tsonga as a player, but it was the rebirth of Tsonga as a person. The couple’s adorable toddler also makes an appearance in the video. In what seems to be a relaxed conversation between friends, Tsonga also reveals why he thinks the French Open is the best tournament to retire. “…Because for me, rollers is the tournament that best represents everything I have done in my career,” he said.
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He also spoke about what his goal for the tournament was. “The goal is to be myself, to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the tennis player. I’d like to perform well, I have always wanted to play well… For me, this will be an opportunity to do it one last time,” he added.
Roland Garros’ official Twitter page also made the announcement public.
"Roland, je t'aime"
@tsonga7 has announced he will retire after this year's Roland-Garros. See you very soon, Jo!
pic.twitter.com/ZaveBd3G7I
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) April 6, 2022
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Tsonga is one of the very few players to have defeated Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic while they held the No. 1 ranking. He is also on the rarefied list of players to have defeated the Big Four at least once in a Grand Slam. While the tennis fraternity is sad to see him go, we wish him all the very best for the next phase of his life!
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