Tears flow during flawed farewell
Frenchman Tsonga can’t overcome shoulder pain in loss that ends singles career
Much as he wanted to avoid tears, Jo-wilfried Tsonga simply could not. And, he said later, he knew he would not. 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.
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. 8 seed Casper Ruud on Tuesday in Court Philippe Chatrier. 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. 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.
Tsonga has been limited to a total of 18 matches since the start of 2021. He turned 37 last month and knew this trip to Roland Garros would be the perfect way to bid adieu.
“It was pure madness today. One of the best atmospheres I have seen in my career (for) my last match. I couldn’t have asked for something better,” Tsonga said. “I couldn’t have
asked for a better script, apart from the fact that I could have won.”
He appeared to have a chance to extend the match by breaking to go up 6-5 in the fourth set. But at the end of that game, he wrenched his shoulder, and that was that. Ruud quickly broke back, and Tsonga was visited by a trainer, who tried to help the situation but could not.
When play resumed, Tsonga could barely even serve, tapping the ball at barely more than 60 mph.
Asked later what he’ll miss the most as he leaves the sport, he replied: “The adrenaline, stepping on a big court like this one. Adrenaline you can feel when you have 15,000 people shouting your name.”
It all offered the most compelling moments of Day 3, which included first-round victories in the men’s bracket for U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, 2021 French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 7 seed Andrey Rublev and No. 24 Frances Tiafoe, who had been 0-6 at Roland Garros.
Danish teenager Holger Rune eliminated No. 14 Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (4.
The fourth-seeded Tsitsipas dropped the opening two sets before getting past Lorenzo Musetti 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 at Court Philippe Chatrier. A year ago, Tsitsipas blew a two-set lead in the final against Novak Djokovic.
Women who advanced to the second round included 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko, 2018 champion Simona Halep, No. 7 seed Aryna Sabalenka, No. 9 Danielle Collins, No. 11 Jessica Pegula and No. 22 Madison Keys.
Tsonga leaves with 121 wins in Grand Slam matches, a record for a French man. It is a tough time for tennis in the land of the French Open: For the first time since 1980, there were zero men or women from the country seeded in the tournament.
Another member of Tsonga’s talented generation, Gilles Simon, has said he will retire at the end of the season.
Yet another, Gael Monfils, missed Roland Garros because he needs heel surgery — although he was there Tuesday for a postmatch retirement ceremony in Chatrier.
No. 3 seed Paola Badosa, whose 6-2, 6-0 victory over France’s Fiona Ferro followed Tsonga vs. Ruud in Chatrier, then asked Tsonga to pose with her for a photo.
He obliged.