Google News Jo Wilfried Tsonga recounted the hard months after his retirement
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Jo Wilfried Tsonga announced his retirement from tennis a few months ago, at the Roland Garros. Physical problems have slowed down the rise of the talented transalpine who in the end had to give up the sport he loved. 2022 has been a particular year for the tennis world, a year that we could consider as the year of goodbyes.
Fans especially remember the forfeits of Roger Federer and Serena Williams, who, after years of success, finally said enough to their careers in this sport. Tsonga said goodbye at 37 after a career of great results, he reached the final at the Australian Open in 2008 and at the ATP Finals in 2011 and reached his Best Ranking in 2012 as number 5 in the ATP.
Tsonga's words after the retreat
The tennis player talked to the broadcaster We Are Tennis and defined his first months without tennis. Tsonga said: "Tennis was 100 per cent of my time, I was dedicating everything to this sport that I loved and suddenly I found myself in a vacuum.
There was nothing left, no atmosphere and I no longer experienced the heat of stadiums. I have to say that especially in the first two months it was very hard, but fortunately it's better now." The tennis player lost the Grand Slam final against Novak Djokovic in 2008 but took great satisfaction and recalled: "The whole journey was beautiful and worth living, even the most difficult moments.
I can't say which was my best day, they were all great days. The most important thing was living with all these kids around and being able to share happiness and sadness. I've always said that one of my goals was to inspire other people and especially children.
I hope I've done that during my career and I know it's definitely a good feeling." Tsonga has won eighteen ATP singles and four doubles titles in his career, reaching the fifth position in the singles world rankings in February 2012.
In Grand Slam tournaments, his best result is the final at the 2008 Australian Open and he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2012 and at Roland Garros 2013 and 2015. He also played in the final at the 2011 ATP World Tour Finals and at the 2012 London Olympics he won the silver medal in the doubles tournament with Michael Llodra, beaten in the final by brothers Mike and Bob Bryan.
He was part of the French team that won the 2017 Davis Cup sixteen years after the last transalpine success. In 2014 he won the Hopman Cup with compatriot Alize Cornet.