"I don't even think he would be top five": Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's place in modern day tennis debated by tennis fans with mixed reactions

Sunday, 07 April 2024 at 23:30

A fan sparked a discussion on Reddit about Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's place in the current era, considering he contended with the Big-4 throughout his career. The former French tennis player won 18 titles, including two Masters 1000, and reached 12 other finals.

Great hopes surrounded Tsonga's career when he burst onto the Tour. In 2008, he reached his first professional final at the Australian Open at the age of 22 but fell to Novak Djokovic, who lifted his first Grand Slam title. Along the way, Tsonga defeated four seeded players: Andy Murray (9th), Richard Gasquet (8th), Mikhail Youzhny (14th), and Rafael Nadal (2nd).

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Tsonga achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 5, finishing six times in the year-end top-10 and a total of 10 times within the top-15. Unfortunately, injuries began to take their toll, and during his final seasons as a professional, he only managed to play a few matches before retiring in 2022.

Moreover, Tsonga recorded several victories against the Big-4: towards the end of his career, his head-to-head record was 6-17 against Djokovic, 6-12 against Federer, 4-10 against Nadal, and his worst record was 2-14 against Andy Murray.

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at 2017 Australian Open

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Nevertheless, he is one of the seven players to have won a tournament against all members of the Big Four (2008 Paris) and managed to defeat each of them at least once in a major, a feat only matched by Tomas Berdych and Stan Wawrinka. Additionally, he is one of the three players to have defeated all of the Big-3 at least once while they held the world No. 1 ranking (alongside Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro).

Tsonga's historical records place him as one of the players who offered the most resistance to the Big-4 throughout his career. With Federer retired and Nadal and Murray likely in their final seasons in the professional circuit, this Reddit user brought the discussion to light, pondering Tsonga's legacy in the current landscape of tennis.

“Big 4 era Tsonga. Peaked at 5th during big 4 era. Where would he rank in this era,” he wrote.

Big 4 era Tsonga. Peaked at 5th during big 4 era. Where would he rank in this era
byu/no4giveness85 intennis

Some responses supported Tsonga to win a Grand Slam and surpass his best ranking, although not all fans were so sure about it. Here you can find some of the fans' response:

“Tsonga could potentially grab a Slam as well, for example his Wimbledon 2011 level might have been good enough to win it last year. With all due respect to Alcaraz, I think Jo's level to beat Federer in 2011 was arguably even scarier than Carlos' display against Djokovic in 2023 - both wins were amazing though.”

“If Casper Ruud could reach number 2 I think Tsonga likely would have been able to, he wouldn’t crack this current top 4 though”

“He would automatically rank no 1 in this era. They wouldn’t even count points anymore. Just give them all to him. He would be no 1 forever in this era. No question about it”

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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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