Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a French tennis player who is well-known for his flair and power-packed game.

In the past decade Tsonga has been a consistent threat to all the top players in men's tennis, including the Big 4 of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. He has also been a Davis Cup hero for France, helping them win the title in 2017.

Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:

Australian Open: Runner-up (2008)

French Open: Semifinalist (2013, 2015)

Wimbledon: Semifinalist (2011, 2012)

US Open: Quarterfinalist (2011, 2015, 2016)

Highest Ranking: No. 5

Style of play

Tsonga is an extremely aggressive player who likes to take the ball on from all areas of the court. He often mixes up his positioning, hitting big groundstrokes from the baseline or rushing to net off a big serve or return, to keep his opponents guessing.

Tsonga's game revolves around his serve, which is both a conquering weapon and a bailout tool. His groundstrokes are similarly dangerous, as he hits them flat and with plenty of pace.

Tsonga is very comfortable at the net, and frequently comes forward to knock off a volley winner. He also varies his pace and spin a lot from the baseline, often throwing in junk balls and slices to disrupt his opponent's rhythm.

Strengths and weaknesses

Tsonga's serve is deadly and accurate, and is the single biggest factor in many of his wins. The Frenchman is capable of bringing the heat on both the first serve and the second serve, often handcuffing his opponents and eliciting return errors from them.

Tsonga's forehand is powerful and versatile, and he can do just about anything with it. Whether hitting it crosscourt, down the line, inside out or inside in, Tsonga can blow any opponent off the court with the sheer pace of his forehand.

Tsonga's net game is also very effective, and he is particularly adept at making tough stab volleys and delicate drop volleys. That said, he sometimes misses easy putaways at the net, owing mainly to his slightly unorthodox technique.

Tsonga's return is arguably the weakest part of his game. He goes for big shots on the return, which means he often fails to get them back in play. While the Frenchman's serve is very difficult to break, he also finds it tough to break his opponent's serve.

Tsonga also has a relatively weak backhand, choosing to use it as a rally shot most of the times. That said, he can hit some very accurate passes off that wing, sometimes even changing it to a one-hander when stretched wide.

Personal life

Tsonga was born in Le Mans, France, but currently lives in Switzerland. Both his parents - father Didier, who hails from Congo and used to play handball, and mother Evelyne, who is French - are teachers.

Tsonga was an accomplished junior player, winning the US Open boys' title and climbing up to World No. 2 in 2003. He turned pro a year after that, but frequent injuries meant that he first made a splash at a Grand Slam only in 2008 - when he reached the Australian Open final.

Tsonga has been nicknamed 'Ali' because of his resemblance to boxing great Muhammad Ali, and in his early years he even played on that by imitating Ali's celebration style.

Tsonga's wife is named Noura, whom he married in July 2018. The couple have a son together, who they named Sugar after boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard.

Tsonga may not have won a Grand Slam title, but that doesn't change the fact that he's been one of the best players in the world this decade. He is one of the very few players to have won more than one Masters 1000 title, and is one of just three to have defeated each of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray at a Grand Slam.

Social media presence:

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Instagram: @tsongaofficiel

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Twitter: @tsonga7