"Novak Djokovic proved again this year that the level at which he evolved has not yet been reached" - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

French former tennis player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga recently lavished praise on Novak Djokovic for his brilliant run during the 2023 season.

Tsonga remained active on the circuit from the year 2004 to 2022. He attained a career-high ranking of World No. 5 in February 2012. During his career, he won a total of 18 ATP titles, including two at Masters 1000 tournaments.

Djokovic and Tsonga came face-to-face on the court numerous times as the former's career was shaped during the same time period. The Serb turned professional in 2003 and continues to dominate the men's circuit.

The 36-year-old has won a total of 24 Grand Slam titles to date, three of which have come in 2023. He most recently entered his 400th week as the top-ranked ATP player.

The Serb defeated Italy's Jannik Sinner in the final of the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, to secure his seventh Year-end championships title. Notably, Tsonga was asked to pick one from Djokovic and Sinner by a fan on social media.

"I’m rather from Djoko school because I’ve been around him for many years. I think he is the most complete player on the circuit. He is the one with the most guns on his asset. And he proved again this year that the level at which he evolved has not yet been reached," the Frenchman wrote after the Serb's Turin glory.

Jo-Wilfried's Instagram story.

Interestingly, the 24-time Grand Slam champion won his first Major trophy in the form of the Australian Open in 2008 by defeating Tsonga in the final.

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Novak Djokovic leads the head-to-head tally against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 17-6

2016 US Open - Day 9

Novak Djokovic defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 17 times before the latter's retirement. They met each other on court on 23 occasions.

Their rivalry dates back to the 2008 Australian Open summit clash which the Serb won. Tsonga, however, proved too good for his opponent in their next four encounters.

Djokovic registered his second win over the Frenchman at the Miami Open in 2009. Between 2010 and 2011, the duo traded blows winning two matches apiece.

The World No. 1, however, picked up the pace going forward and prevailed in every single battle with Tsonga until the 2014 Wimbledon Championships. The Frenchman could win just one more match (R16: Canadian Open, 2014) against Djokovic.

Their rivalry ended at the Melbourne Major in 2019 when the Serb collected his 17th one-on-one win.