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As some of you may or may not know, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is about to retire from tennis. The 37-year-old Frenchman has decided that after the 2022 French Open, he shall be retiring from the game. Sadly, Tsonga has struggled massively with injuries in recent times. Then again, there are many other guys in their mid-30s on the tour that can relate. But as sad as this is, Tsonga will indeed receive a wildcard at the French Open for one last hoorah!
He will take to the clay courts of Paris to attempt to wow the crowd for one final time. And whichever way his matches go, it will certainly be an emotional affair. Personally, I would love to see him win a round or two. If he did this, I can only imagine the atmosphere of the crowd. But realistically, he could well have a tough time depending on the draw he gets.
Putting his Roland Garros ambitions aside, with his imminent retirement, I wanted to focus on some of the happier times involving Tsonga and his tennis. So below, I’ll be running through some of his career highlights.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – Top Achievements During His Career
Contents
As the curtain is coming down on Tsonga’s career, now seems the perfect time to pay homage to his many achievements. There are quite a few to get through, so let me get right into it.
Career High of Number 5
Many people forget that Tsonga has been ranked as high as number 5 in the world. Thanks to his incredible tennis during the 2011/2012 season, he achieved this ranking on February 27th, 2012. This was largely helped by two semi-final appearances in 2011. One of these came at Wimbledon and the other came at the US Open.
Australian Open Final in 2008
I can actually remember when Tsonga first burst onto the scene. And of all the matches he was playing back then, the Australian Open final in 2008 sticks out as a major memory. During this event, he managed to take down Andy Murray in the opening round. Bear in mind that Andy Murray was the 9th seed at the time! He also beat Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, which was just incredible. Ultimately, he lost to Djokovic in four sets in the final.
2011 Wimbledon Win Against Roger Federer
There are a few times in a player’s career where certain matches just seem to take them to new levels. This was certainly one of them! Tsonga became the first man to defeat Federer in a Grand Slam event from a two-set deficit at Wimbledon in 2011. His win against Federer was simply extraordinary at the time, given how dominant Federer had been on the grass.
18 ATP Titles – Two Masters Wins
When all is said and done, Tsonga managed to win 18 ATP titles during his career. This in itself is a fantastic achievement. And the 18 titles include two Masters wins – one at the Paris Masters in 2008 and the other at the Toronto Masters in 2014. In that one, he beat Roger Federer yet again!
But now that he is about to call it a day, all we can do is wish him all the best in his retirement.
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