Jo-Wilfried Tsonga kept it straight honest when reflecting on why he never became a Grand Slam champion as the former world No. 5 admitted that he “simply wasn’t good enough.”
When the Frenchman was just 22, he made his maiden Major final at the Australian Open. But after ousting Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the semifinal, he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the final match despite being up by a set.
Across the next several years, Tsonga made five other Grand Slam semifinals but never again returned to a Slam final – 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 said in an interview posted on Gael Monfils’ YouTube channel, via We Love Tennis France.
Monfils admits the Big Four were too much for him and Tsonga to overcome
After the 2008 Australian Open runner-up confessed that he was lacking that one extra thing to make that last Grand Slam breakthrough, his fellow compatriot highlighted that the presence of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray was too much to overcome.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils© Gael Monfils – YouTube
Monfils, who is still active unlike Tsonga, is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist. His first semifinal came early in his career – during the 2008 French Open – when he lost to Nadal in straight sets. Eight years later, the former world No. 6 made the last-four stage at the US Open but couldn’t upset Djokovic there.
During his prime years, the 38-year-old was one of the better players in the world and he had no big issues reaching the second week of Slams. But when it mattered the most, he couldn’t come up big against the top 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 said.
“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 kept asking himself why he lost the 2008 Australian Open final
A couple of months after retiring from pro tennis, the former 18-time ATP champion revealed that he could never really understand what happened in his first Grand Slam final. That year, the Frenchman destroyed Nadal 6-2 6-3 6-2 and also won the opening set of the final against Djokovic. But for some reason, his level dropped and the Serb went on to complete 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 next five meetings. Those consecutive wins only made the Australian Open final defeat more painful because the 39-year-old thought that he should have won 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.”
Meanwhile, Tsonga’s career officially came to an end during the 2022 French Open. In his last match, the Frenchman lost to Casper Ruud in the first round, who then went on to reach the final before losing to Nadal.
Tennis World USA