Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has candidly addressed the reasons behind his failure to secure a Grand Slam title, admitting that he “simply wasn’t good enough.” The former world No. 5 reached his first Major final at the Australian Open in 2008, where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinals but ultimately lost to Novak Djokovic after leading by a set.
Over the following years, Tsonga reached five additional Grand Slam semifinals but never made it back to the final match. His semifinal appearances included the 2010 Australian Open (losing to Roger Federer), 2011 Wimbledon (to Djokovic), 2012 Wimbledon (to Andy Murray), 2013 French Open (to David Ferrer), and 2015 French Open (to Stan Wawrinka).
In an interview on Gael Monfils’ YouTube channel, Tsonga reflected on his career, stating, “Why didn’t I win a Grand Slam? Simply because I wasn’t good enough. 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.”
Monfils, Tsonga’s fellow Frenchman and a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, echoed these sentiments, noting that the dominance of the so-called “Big Four”—Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Murray—made it difficult for players like them to achieve significant success. Monfils reached his first semifinal at the 2008 French Open, where he lost to Nadal, and later made the semifinals at the 2016 US Open but fell to Djokovic.
During his prime, Tsonga was consistently among the top players, often advancing to the second week of Grand Slam tournaments. However, he struggled to deliver against the elite players when it mattered most. Monfils remarked, “The four were stronger than us. We weren’t good enough to beat one, two, or three! In a great week, yes, you could beat one, but the third was too much—especially in five sets.”
Monfils also acknowledged the achievements of Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic, and Juan Martin del Potro, who each secured Grand Slam titles during their careers, stating that they were also formidable opponents.
Reflecting on his 2008 Australian Open final loss, Tsonga expressed ongoing confusion about the match. After defeating Nadal convincingly in the semifinals, he won the first set against Djokovic but faltered, ultimately losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6. Despite this setback, Tsonga found success afterward, defeating Djokovic in subsequent encounters.
In a column for Eurosport in January 2023, Tsonga shared that he has often pondered why he lost that pivotal match, especially given his later victories over Djokovic. “You never stop thinking. You try, you fall down, you get up, you move on; it’s part of a player’s career,” he wrote.
Tsonga officially retired from professional tennis following the 2022 French Open, where he lost to Casper Ruud in the first round. Ruud advanced to the final, ultimately losing to Nadal.
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