Jo-Wilfried Tsonga saved it straight trustworthy when reflecting on why he by no means turned a Grand Slam champion as the previous world No. 5 admitted that he “simply wasn’t good enough.”
When the Frenchman was simply 22, he made his maiden Main ultimate on the Australian Open. However after ousting Rafael Nadal in straight units within the semifinal, he was overwhelmed by Novak Djokovic within the ultimate match regardless of being up by a set.
Throughout the following a number of years, Tsonga made 5 different Grand Slam semifinals however by no means once more returned to a Slam ultimate – 2010 Australian Open (Roger Federer), 2011 Wimbledon (Djokovic), 2012 Wimbledon (Andy Murray), 2013 French Open (David Ferrer) and 2015 French Open (Stan Wawrinka).
“Why didn’t I win a Grand Slam? Simply because I wasn’t good enough. That’s the answer. Was I good enough to get where I went? Yes, because I did. You didn’t go any further, you weren’t good enough, no matter what the circumstances. Tennis has decided,” Tsonga stated in an interview posted on Gael Monfils’ YouTube channel, by way of We Love Tennis France.
Monfils admits the Massive 4 had been an excessive amount of for him and Tsonga to beat
After the 2008 Australian Open runner-up confessed that he was missing that one further factor to make that final Grand Slam breakthrough, his fellow compatriot highlighted that the presence of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray was an excessive amount of to beat.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils© Gael Monfils – YouTube
Monfils, who remains to be lively in contrast to Tsonga, is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist. His first semifinal got here early in his profession – throughout the 2008 French Open – when he misplaced to Nadal in straight units. Eight years later, the previous world No. 6 made the last-four stage on the US Open however could not upset Djokovic there.
Throughout his prime years, the 38-year-old was one of many higher gamers on this planet and he had no large points reaching the second week of Slams. However when it mattered probably the most, he could not come up large towards the highest guys.
“I also think we weren’t good enough. The four (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray) were stronger than us. We weren’t good enough to beat one, two, three! In a great week, yes you could beat one, you might get to the second, but the third was too much. Especially in five sets! That’s an understatement, but we’re talking about the legends of our sport. We’re talking about the ‘Mr. Tennis,'” Monfils stated.
“Apart from the Big 4, three guys have won Grand Slams in our generation: Stan (Wawrinka), Cilic and Del Potro. Stan the man doesn’t have that nickname for nothing! He had an exceptional state of grace! Cilic when he won, he was exceptional. And Juan Martin too! In the end, I have no problem saying that these three guys were stronger than us too! They won their Grand Slams against legends.”
Tsonga saved asking himself why he misplaced the 2008 Australian Open ultimate
A few months after retiring from professional tennis, the previous 18-time ATP champion revealed that he might by no means actually perceive what occurred in his first Grand Slam ultimate. That 12 months, the Frenchman destroyed Nadal 6-2 6-3 6-2 and in addition received the opening set of the ultimate towards Djokovic. However for some motive, his degree dropped and the Serb went on to finish a 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 win.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic© YouTube screenshot
After that match, Tsonga went on to win their subsequent 5 conferences. These consecutive wins solely made the Australian Open ultimate defeat extra painful as a result of the 39-year-old thought that he ought to have received it.
“But this final served me well and helped me. The match, the experience. After that, I’m going to win the Masters 1000 in Bercy at the end of the year. I’m beating Djokovic that week, by the way. The problem is that I really analysed this final the proper way too late. They tell you it’s the technical, physical, mental side. But by analysing every point, hearing things from the outside, you end up getting bogged down. Sometimes things are much simpler than that,” the 39-year-old wrote in a column for Eurosport in 2023 January.
“My whole career I’ve been asking myself why. Why did I lose that final when I beat him five times in a row after that? What happened? You never stop thinking. You try, you fall down, you get up, you move on, it’s part of a player’s career. So this final is part of mine.”
In the meantime, Tsonga’s profession formally got here to an finish throughout the 2022 French Open. In his final match, the Frenchman misplaced to Casper Ruud within the first spherical, who then went on to succeed in the ultimate earlier than shedding to Nadal.
