Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga reminisced that he "would pray" not to play against Rafael
Nadal at the French Open. Despite coinciding with the prime years of the Big-3
during his ATP Tour career, the former world No. 5 was one of the top tennis
players of his era, but he couldn't do much when facing Nadal on clay.
Tsonga
is one of the players with the best record against the Big-3 with 16 victories
combined. The Frenchman achieved six wins against Novak Djokovic, six against
Roger Federer, and four against Nadal out of a total of 57 matchups (28%).
The challenge of facing Nadal on clay
The
18-time ATP champion has a particular record of 4-10 against Nadal, with two of
those encounters taking place on clay, both resulting in straight-set victories
for the Spaniard, in the Davis Cup and at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Tsonga reached the French Open semifinals twice. He was defeated by David Ferrer in 2013 and Stan Wawrinka in 2015.
Tsonga
recently shared an anecdote about how players used to joke about the
possibility of facing Nadal at the Philippe-Chatrier and being unable to win
games in the early sets: “Everyone wants to see him. I want to see him. For a
long time, I didn't want to see him. We want him to go out in the best possible
way, on the court fighting like he always did."
"What
he did at Roland‐Garros,
15 victories… In fact, I don't even want to talk about it because it's so…
Honestly, for me, the biggest challenge in tennis was to face Nadal on clay.
It's quite funny, I have a little anecdote about that. Before the draw, we all
prayed not to draw him. We said to ourselves: 'Can you imagine, you enter the
center court and finally, after two sets, you still haven't won a game,'” he
added.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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