The locals gave Tsonga a prolonged standing ovation, and he went up near the net, knelt and rested his forehead on the ground, creating a splotch of the rust-colored clay on his face.Īsked later what he'll miss the most as he leaves the sport, he replied: "The adrenaline, stepping on a big court like this one. When play resumed, Tsonga could barely even serve, tapping the ball at barely more than 60 mph (100 kph) - less than half as fast as the booming offerings he was known for - and even tried hitting one shot left-handed as the tiebreaker ended in a shutout. During a three-minute medical timeout, a band in the stands got fans to clap and chant "Jo! Jo!" to the rhythm of a drumbeat, then played "La Marseillaise" as some in the seats sang along to France's national anthem. ![]() Ruud quickly broke back, and Tsonga was visited by a trainer, who tried to help the situation but could not. But at the end of that game, he wrenched his shoulder, and that was that. He appeared to have a chance to extend the match by breaking to go up 6-5 in the fourth set. "I couldn't have asked for a better script, apart from the fact that I could have won." ![]() I couldn't have asked for something better," Tsonga said. One of the best atmospheres I have seen in my career (for) my last match. He's been limited to a total of 18 matches since the start of 2021, turned 37 last month, has a family now and knew this trip to Roland Garros would be the perfect way to bid adieu. 5 in the rankings, a run to the 2008 Australian Open final and France's first Davis Cup title in 16 years - but also a series of injuries. They were there because he knows he is done trying to win matches, done hearing the supportive roars from spectators, done experiencing the highs and lows of a professional tennis career that featured a spot at No. 8 seed Casper Ruud on Tuesday in Court Philippe Chatrier. They were not there because of the right shoulder that was so painful he couldn't properly swing his racket by the end of a 6-7 (8), 7-6 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (0) loss to No. So they flowed freely during the final moments of his final match at the French Open, the final singles match of his professional tennis career, and he wiped them away with the black sweatband on his left wrist. And, he said later, he knew he would not. Much as he wanted to avoid tears, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga simply could not.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |