Gauthier Delomez 06:24, May 20, 2022

At 37, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is about to play his last edition of Roland-Garros.

Le Manceau, ex-world number 5 at its best, has carried French tennis over the past 15 years.

Europe 1, official radio station of Roland-Garros, looks back on five great moments experienced by the Frenchman in front of the Parisian public.

Game, set and match for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The French tennis player, ex-world number 5, will retire from sport at the end of the 2022 edition of Roland-Garros.

A tournament he certainly never won, but where he experienced some of his greatest emotions.

On the occasion of the end of the career of one of the best French players of the past 15 years, Europe 1, official radio of Roland-Garros, looks back on five of his greatest highlights at Porte d'Auteuil.

May 26, 2009: first victory at Roland-Garros

While he is already one of the highest ranked French people (9th in the world) and has a Grand Slam final at the Australian Open a year earlier, in 2009, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did not paradoxically never won a single match in the main draw at Roland-Garros.

It was done on May 26, when at 24, he eliminated his compatriot Julien Benneteau in the first round in four sets (6-4.3-6.6-3.6-4).

An edition where the Manceau reveals itself (really) to the French public: it challenges in the round of 16 the Argentine colossus Juan-Martin del Potro, seeded number 5, in a tight match which it ends up losing in four sets.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wins his first match at Roland-Garros against Julien Benneteau.


Credits: BERTRAND GUAY / AFP

June 5, 2012: Homeric quarter-final against Novak Djokovic

This is one of "Jo's" most legendary matches.

Ranked 5th in the world, his highest career ranking, the Frenchman appeared in the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros in 2012 where the one who already occupied the place of number one, Novak Djokovic, awaited him.

For more than four hours, the two men fought an anthology battle on the central Philippe-Chatrier court, in front of a boiling public.

Le Manceau obtained a total of four match points, which he failed to convert, before losing in the fifth and final set (6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6, 6-1 ).

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will only wait another year to experience a first semi-final in the tournament.

June 4, 2013: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outclasses Roger Federer

A prestigious victory celebrated with his famous "thumb dance".

A year after his disappointment in the quarter-finals against Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga faces legend Roger Federer this time at the same stage of the tournament.

Under the Parisian sun, the Frenchman, seeded number 6, made his power speak on clay to muzzle the blows of the Swiss, 3rd in the world, and win in three sets, in less than two hours of play. mastered from start to finish which allows Manceau to reach the semi-finals of Roland-Garros for the first time, at the age of 28.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga performs his famous "thumb dance" on the Philippe-Chatrier court after his victory against Roger Federer.


Credits: MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

June 7, 2013: first semi-final missed, the fault of the lack of public?

First French semi-finalist since Gael Monfils in 2008, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga arouses the enthusiasm of the general public who sees in him a potential successor to Yannick Noah, the last man to have won the tournament with the Habs.

His opponent, the Spaniard David Ferrer who is seeded number 4, seems within his reach, but the Frenchman completely thwarts during this semi-final.

Blame it on the lack of support from the public on the central court, he accuses at the microphone of Nelson Monfort at the exit of the court.

Previously, an epic duel between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal had just ended, and the stands were half empty for the Frenchman.

Le Manceau will have a second chance, two years later.

The Frenchman was sharply beaten by Spaniard David Ferrer in his first semi-final at Porte d'Auteuil.


Credits: MARTIN BUREAU / AFP

June 5, 2015: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga takes a set but loses to his friend Stan Wawrinka

Back in the semi-finals, the Habs, down to 15th place in the world, is on the strength of a prodigious career during which it successively eliminates the Czech Tomas Berdych (4th) in the eighth and the Japanese Kei Nishikori (5th), in a quarter. from finale to twists and turns.

Here he is facing Stan Wawrinka (9th), one of his best friends on the ATP circuit.

The two French speakers are vying for a place in the final of Roland-Garros in very hot weather, and it is the Swiss, already a Grand Slam titleholder, who emerges victorious from this duel in four close sets.

He will win the tournament at the expense of Novak Djokovic.

Stan Wawrinka wins against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets and goes to the final of Roland-Garros 2015.


Credits: ELLA LING / BACKPAGE IMAGES LTD / DPPI VIA AFP

The Frenchman then knows more complicated editions of Roland-Garros, where he no longer manages to go beyond the third round.

Ranked 267th in the world this week and invited by the organizers, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga must face the Norwegian Casper Ruud, 8th at the ATP, in the first round of the 2022 edition. This may be the last match of "Jo ", who will be keen to give everything in front of the French public.

The career of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in brief

Grand Slam finalist, former world number 5, 467 victories on the ATP circuit, 18 titles, professional for 18 years... Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has a more than respectable line of statistics in the world of tennis.

If he remains the last Habs, men and women alike, to have played in a Grand Slam final, at the Australian Open in 2008, the Frenchman also has six semi-finals in this tournament category.

His most legendary match is undoubtedly his victory in five sets against Roger Federer, at Wimbledon in 2011, when he was down two sets to nothing.

Le Manceau finally contributed greatly to the victory of the French team in the Davis Cup in 2017.