Jo-Wilfried Tsonga takes positive notes from Sebastian Korda loss

The 35-year-old Jo-Wilfried Tsonga played only two matches in 2020, struggling with a back injury and skipping all the action after the Australian Open.

In his first match in over 13 months, Jo-Wilfried lost in the Open Sud de France's opening round in Montpellier, with the young American Sebastian Korda beating the veteran 6-4, 6-2 in 72 minutes.

Korda lost only eight points behind the initial shot and fended off both break chances to mount the pressure on the other side. Tsonga delivered some good serves and forehands, but it wasn't enough for a closer result, dropping serve thrice to propel the youngster over the top. After the match, Tsonga was pleased to play again, hoping to get back on the winning way as soon as possible.

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"Feeling privileged to have been on the court again. After months of trying, here I'm rewarded! I hope my performances continue to grow, so I can start winning matches again. Facing the new generation embodied by Sebastian Korda is a real challenge. He will be among the players who will play for the titles in the future," Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said.