Jo-Wilfried Tsonga facts for kids

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tsonga at the 2021 French Open

Country (sports)

France

Residence

Gingins, Switzerland

Born

17 April 1985 (age 40)
Le Mans, France

Height

1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

Turned pro

2004

Retired

2022

Plays

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Coach

Éric Winogradsky (2004–2011)
Roger Rasheed (2012–2013)
Nicolas Escudé (2013–2015)
Thierry Ascione (2013–2022)
Sergi Bruguera (2019–2022)

Prize money

US$22,458,018

22nd all-time leader in earnings

Singles

Career record

467–238 (66.24%) (66.2%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 5 (27 February 2012)

Grand Slam singles results

F (2008)

SF (2013, 2015)

SF (2011, 2012)

QF (2011, 2015, 2016)

Other tournaments

Tour Finals

F (2011)

Olympic Games

QF (2012)

Doubles

Career record

83–67 (55.33%) (55.3%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 33 (26 October 2009)

Grand Slam doubles results

Australian Open

2R (2008)

French Open

2R (2021)

Wimbledon

Q1 (2007)

Team competitions

Davis Cup

W (2017)

Hopman Cup

W (2014)

Medal record

Summer Olympics

Silver	2012 London	Doubles

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (born on April 17, 1985) is a French former professional tennis player. He reached a career-high ranking of world No. 5 in February 2012. Tsonga won 18 singles titles on the ATP Tour, including two major Masters 1000 titles.

He became well-known after reaching the 2008 Australian Open final as an unseeded player. He beat four seeded players, including world No. 2 Rafael Nadal. Tsonga also won a silver medal in men's doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2017, he helped France win the Davis Cup for the first time in 16 years. He retired from tennis at the 2022 French Open.

Early Life and Family
Tennis Career Highlights
Key Rivalries
Playing Style
Equipment
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Family

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was born in Le Mans, France. His father, Didier Tsonga, was a handball player from the Republic of the Congo. His mother, Évelyne Tsonga, is French. His father moved to France in the 1970s to play handball. There, he met Évelyne and they got married.

Tsonga has a younger brother, Enzo, who plays basketball. He also has an older sister, Sasha. His cousin, Maël Lépicier, plays for the Congo football team. Tsonga and fellow tennis player Gaël Monfils became good friends when they were young. They enjoyed pretending to be famous tennis players.

Tsonga married Noura El Shwekh in July 2018. Their son, Sugar, was born in March 2017.

Tennis Career Highlights

Junior Success and Early Professional Years

Tsonga had a very successful junior career. He won the 2003 US Open junior singles title. He also reached the semifinals of the other three junior Grand Slam events in the same year. He reached a career-high junior ranking of world No. 2 in October 2003.

Tsonga turned professional in 2004. He played his first ATP Tour event at the 2004 China Open. There, he upset former world No. 1 Carlos Moyá in the first round. From late 2004 to 2006, Tsonga faced many injuries. These injuries kept him off the court for long periods.

Breakthrough and Major Finals

In 2007, Tsonga started to climb the rankings. He reached the fourth round of Wimbledon as a wildcard. He ended 2007 ranked No. 43, a big jump from No. 212 at the start of the year.

His biggest breakthrough came at the 2008 Australian Open. As an unseeded player, he reached his first Grand Slam final. He famously beat world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the final, but his ranking rose to No. 18. Later that year, he won his first ATP title at the Thailand Open. He then won his first Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters. This win helped him enter the top 10 for the first time.

Olympic Medal and Davis Cup Victory

At the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Tsonga won a silver medal. He partnered with Michaël Llodra in the men's doubles event. They reached the final but lost to the American Bryan brothers.

In 2014, Tsonga won his second Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open. He beat four top-10 players, including Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer. This was a rare achievement in tennis.

Tsonga was a key player for the French Davis Cup team. In 2017, he helped France win the Davis Cup. This was France's first Davis Cup title in 16 years. He won his first singles match in the final against Belgium.

Later Career and Retirement

Tsonga continued to win titles in the later part of his career. He won four singles titles in 2017. However, he also faced more injuries, especially in 2018 and 2021. These injuries affected his playing time and ranking.

In 2019, Tsonga won two more titles, including the Open Sud de France. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters. His ranking improved significantly that year.

Tsonga played very few matches in 2020 and 2021 due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 6, 2022, Tsonga announced he would retire from tennis. His last professional match was at the 2022 French Open on May 24, 2022.

Key Rivalries

Tsonga vs. Djokovic

Tsonga and Novak Djokovic played each other 23 times. Djokovic won 17 of these matches. Their first big match was the final of the 2008 Australian Open. Djokovic won that match to claim his first Grand Slam title. They also had memorable matches at the 2010 Australian Open (Tsonga won) and 2011 Wimbledon (Djokovic won).

Tsonga vs. Federer

Tsonga and Roger Federer played 18 times, with Federer leading 12–6. They had exciting matches at Grand Slams. At 2011 Wimbledon, Tsonga made history by beating Federer after being two sets down. This was a first for Federer in a Grand Slam. Tsonga also beat Federer in the final of the 2014 Rogers Cup to win his second Masters 1000 title.

Achievements Against the "Big Four"

The "Big Four" in tennis refers to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. Tsonga has some special achievements against them:

He is one of only three players to beat all four members of the Big Four at least once in a major tournament.
He is one of only two players to beat three members of the Big Four in a single tournament. He did this at the 2014 Rogers Cup.
He is one of seven players to win a tournament where all members of the Big Four played.
Tsonga is one of the few players to defeat Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic when they were ranked world No. 1.

Playing Style

Tsonga was known for his strong, attacking style of play. He liked to hit powerful shots from the back of the court. He was also good at moving around the court, especially for his height. Tsonga was known for serving well when under pressure.

Serve

Tsonga's serve was one of his best weapons. He could hit it very fast, up to 237 km/h (147 mph). He used both speed and spin to win easy points, often hitting aces.

Favorite Surfaces

Tsonga played his best tennis on hard courts. He reached the final of the Australian Open (a hard-court tournament) in 2008. He also reached the semifinals and quarterfinals multiple times there. Most of his tournament finals were on hard courts.

On grass courts, he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon twice (2011, 2012). He also made the quarterfinals two other times.

Tsonga generally found clay courts more challenging. However, he improved his clay-court game over time. He reached the quarterfinals of the French Open twice. In 2017, he won his first clay-court title at the 2017 Lyon Open.

Groundstrokes and Net-Play

Tsonga hit aggressive groundstrokes. His forehand was very powerful and accurate, especially down the line. While his backhand was not always as strong, he could hit attacking shots with it. He was also skilled at playing close to the net. He could hit both two-handed and one-handed backhands.

Equipment

Tsonga used Babolat tennis rackets for most of his career. He was sponsored by Adidas for his clothing and shoes.

Images for kids

Tsonga defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinal at the 2008 Australian Open reaching his sole Grand Slam final
Tsonga reached the quarterfinals at the 2009 Australian Open
Tsonga at the Boodles Challenge exhibition tournament
Tsonga at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, where he reached the semifinals for the first time.
Tsonga won the silver medal in the Men's doubles event at the 2012 London Olympics
Tsonga during his match against Jarkko Nieminen at the 2013 French Open
Tsonga at the 2015 Internazionali BNL d'Italia
Tsonga and Djokovic at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships; the latter won their semifinal clash and went on to win the tournament.
Tsonga playing a lunging dive volley against Novak Djokovic in their 2011 Wimbledon semifinal
Tsonga at the 2022 French Open, his last professional tournament