Tsonga bids career adieu; Medvedev, Sabalenka win
PARIS — 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, hearing the supportive roars from spectators, 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.
In a post-match retirement ceremony, there were video tributes from the greatest four male players of this era — Novak Djokovic, (who called Tsonga’s retirement “a big loss for professional men’s tennis”), Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
“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.”
Other Day 3 action included firstround 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.
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.
Another member of Tsonga’s talented generation — Gilles Simon, who won a five-setter against No. 16 seed Pablo Carreño Busta that ended past 1 a.m. on Wednesday — has said he will retire at the end of the season.