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56K views 436 replies 56 participants last post by  dddggj 
#1 ·
I wanted to add something to the article of this morning and we'll need a "News" thread anyway.

http://fr.sports.yahoo.com/17042008/70/ms-monte-carlo-tsonga-forfait.html
After having said that he's not downcast because of his knee injury and has already been through worse things, he adds:
"J'espère que le fait d'être blessé va me remotiver pour les prochains tournois. Parce que ces derniers temps, je ne prenais pas vraiment de plaisir sur le court. Là, le circuit va me manquer."
I hope that this injury will remotivate me for the next tournaments. Because I was not really enjoying being on the court lately. That way, I will miss the tour.

It was quite obvious during the two American AMS, even before IW he kept talking in interviews about finding back his motivation, it was weird. And he was looking so nervous during his matches. Probably too much pressure. It's nice to see he's aware of it.
 
#281 ·
Thanks guys for the articles and translations. Be careful what you wish for Jo! I think it's best if he avoids dangerous servers in the first 2 rounds so that he guarantees some grand slam ranking points.
 
#282 · (Edited)
A little interview of Jo after his first match :

«Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, comment avez-vous abordé ce match ?
J'étais pressé de commencer. C'est fait. J'ai eu un premier match assez facile qui m'a permis de frapper pas mal de balles, de courir et d'installer mon jeu. Face à ce genre de joueur, on ne sait jamais ce qui va se passer sur le terrain. Je ne le connaissais pas. Quand j'avais son classement, j'étais capable de battre n'importe qui, à n'importe quel moment dans ma tête. Je m'attends à ce que le gars soit vraiment très bon. En général, c'est comme cela qu'on aborde ce genre de match.

Aviez-vous des informations sur lui ?
Je n'avais aucune info. On m'avait dit : il a un bon coup droit et il sert bien. Dans ce cas-là, on dit merci (rires). Avant ce genre de match, c'est difficile parce qu'on me dit qu'il a un bon coup droit et un bon service et finalement, pas tant que ça (rires).

Est-ce un match idéal pour faire des réglages ?
Oui. J'ai fait des réglages, j'avais envie de me rassurer du fond du court, courir, me dépenser. Il faut pouvoir se libérer dans les frappes du fond de court. Ces derniers temps, il me manquait un peu de réussir à tenir la balle dans le terrain. Sur ce match, je me suis attaché à tenir la balle sans faire forcément un coup gagnant en deux ou trois frappes. J'ai voulu l'user, frapper des balles. Quand je commence à mettre la balle dans le court, cela me donne confiance et j'ai l'impression que je ne vais pas trop rater quand je vais accélérer.

Quels sont les petits réglages spécifiques que vous avez effectués ?
Sur les passings, surtout en revers, je me suis un peu rassuré. J'ai aussi réglé ma position de retour. J'ai travaillé sur ces choses-là ces derniers temps.

Que pensez-vous de votre prochain adversaire, Jarkko Nieminen ?
C'est un joueur qui me pose pas mal de problèmes à chaque fois. Il est gaucher, il ne décolle pas trop de sa ligne, il possède une bonne main et il casse un peu le jeu. Cela va être difficile. Il revient de blessure, je vais donc essayer de lui imposer un gros rythme.»


In brief, it was an easy match which gives him the opportunity to set his game. He also talk about being more patient in the rally to miss less on the big shots and about setting his position on the return of serve. He knows Nieminen well and plans to put a lot of pressure on him. He wants to dictate the game against him.

Good luck Jo !
 
#283 ·
Itw in english from the website :

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interviews/2009-09-01/200909011251829489406.html
J. TSONGA/C. Buchanan

6 0, 6 2, 6 1

An interview with: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Are you sort of looking at this tournament sort of as an opportunity for you to take perhaps the next step in your career? You've established yourself obviously as one of the top 10 players, and perhaps this is going to be an opportunity to get even further than that.
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, of course. Every Grand Slam you are you know, I'm here to win, you know, and to go to the next step.
The next step for me is to be in the five best players in the world, so yeah.

Q. How did you feel about the way you played today? Just seemed like everything was working for you.
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: It was all right. I hit some balls and I run a lot, and it's good for me to start in this tournament.

Q. How important is it to get out there and get off to a start like you did today?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: It's good, because you don't leave a lot of energy on the court. But I played well, and it was good.

Q. Going forward, you're either going to play Fognini or Nieminen. Do you have a history against those guys? If so, how do you match up?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, I know both. Both good players. Nieminen come back after injury. Fognini is not really in good shape at this moment, but I know it's going to be a tough match because it's a Grand Slam and everybody want to win.

Q. Nieminen won.
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Nieminen then? So it will be Nieminen than. So yeah, I know it's going to be difficult, because he's going to be very hungry. It's going to be tough.

Q. You said you're here to win. Do you have a real belief that that's a legitimate thing that you can accomplish at this US Open?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, of course. I'm in good shape and I play well, so why not?
 
#284 ·
A more elaborate translation of the interview in French above, thanks to MacArthur:


About his first round match, it was quite easy and gave him the opportunity to hit a lot of balls, to run, to establish his game. Against this kind of player, one never knows what’s going to happen on court. He had to prepare himself mentally for the eventuality of his opponent being better than expected.

Asked whether he had any prior knowledge of Buchanan’s game, he admitted that he knew nothing. All they told him was that his opponent had a good forehand and he served well. To which he could but simply reply: Thank you! Before the match, it was difficult to anticipate how good the forehand and serve of his opponent was going to be, but it turned out that they weren’t that good after all (humour).

He said that he had made some adjustments to his game – at the baseline, on the run, use of energy. He admitted that recently, he was not keeping the ball on the court well enough. In the match against Buchanan, he endeavoured to keep the ball longer in play, be more patient in the rallies without necessarily going for winners in two or three shots. Once he has the ball in play, he has more confidence about going more for his shots.

What are the little adjustments he has made? On the passing shots, especially on the backand side, he feels more confident. He’s also adjusted his position on the return on serve. He’s been working on these lately.

On his next opponent, Jarkko Nieminen: He thinks he’s a tricky opponent from past experience. He’s a lefty, does not stray much from the baseline, he has good hands and he can change the rhythm of the game. He’s back from injury, hence Jo will try to impose a lot of pressure on him, dictate play.
 
#287 ·
You're welcome, MacArthur & SelvenluvJo :hug: :)

Good luck to Jo today against Nieminen. Let's see if he makes those little adjustments, but above all, keep doing what he does best and what comes naturally to him.
 
#288 ·
His official website is working seriously this time around. Another interview just after his win on Nieminen :

« Une victoire convaincante »
Victorieux de Jarkko Nieminen, Jo-Wilfried retrouve au 3e tour de l’US Open son ami Julien Bennetau.

Jo, c’est avec autorité que tu as écarté Jarkko Nieminen au 2e tour de l’US Open.

C’est une victoire convaincante. Ca fait toujours du bien de s’en sortir en trois sets face à un joueur aussi accrocheur et régulier. Il est difficile à manœuvrer. J’ai bien géré le match, j’ai été très opportuniste sur les balles de break. C’était un peu mon petit souci ces derniers temps. J’avais plus de balles de break que mon adversaire mais je n’en convertissais aucune. Sur ce match, j’ai fait du 100%. Cette victoire me laisse en tout cas le temps de récupérer pour la suite.

Pour la troisième année consécutive, te voilà au 3e tour de l’US Open…

Ca ne peut pas me satisfaire. Sinon, ce ne serait pas drôle. C’est à partir de maintenant que ça va devenir intéressant. Je ne veux pas me contenter de ça. Je veux aller beaucoup plus loin. Mais pour commencer, je dois gagner mon prochain match pour atteindre les 8es de finale.

Tu as débuté ton match une nouvelle fois à 11h. Comment gères-tu ce paramètre en sachant que tu n’es pas du matin ?

Ces dernies temps, à chaque fois que je jouais à 11h, j’étais en difficulté. Je n’étais pas réveillé, je n’arrivais pas à bouger sur le terrain. Je n’étais pas du tout lucide. J’avais un peu l’impression de frapper dans mon oreiller. (Rires). Aujourd’hui, je me suis levé à 6h30. Ca m’a permis d’être tout de suite en forme sur le court. Désormais, je pense adopter ce rythme quand je serai programmé à 11h.

Tu vas retrouver au prochain tour ton ami Julien Benneteau…

Ca va être un match à couteau tiré. Julien est en bonne forme, il a bien joué à Cincinnati. C’est toujours compliqué de jouer contre un compatriote mais avec Julien, on a l’habitude de se rencontrer. Donc jouer contre un ami ne me pose donc pas de soucis.


Briefly: He is happy for his break point conversion in this match (100% :cool: ), he wants to go much further than the third round this year (third time in a row that he is there :) ), playing so soon in the morning is a pain in the *** for him but he has found his rythm now by waking up at 6H00 in the morning ( :tape: ) and dueling with Benny in the next round is going to be hard but fun ( :angel: ).

They will put an english translation in two days on his official site sweetie Turquoise ( ;) ), you don't have to translate it entirely if you don't have the time or the will :kiss:
 
#289 ·
Thanks MacArthur for letting me off ;) But, I really don't mind helping out whenever I can for I understand how frustrating it is as a fan to support a player of another nationality e.g. Russian, Spanish, German... and wishing someone would produce and translate some articles from their local press. It's wonderful that you, Truc and other fans are doing such a great job digging up these articles which give us genuine insights about Jo. Thanks again!
 
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#290 ·
This is a tough one for you, Turquoise :

« Je vais forcément engager un combat physique. » Avant de monter sur le ring, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga avait annoncé la couleur et il n'a pas trahi sa pensée sur le Grandstand en s'imposant (7-6 [5], 6-2, 6-4 en 2h12') contre Julien Benneteau. Pendant une heure, les deux joueurs se tiennent et le bras de fer s'engage avec la puissance de Jo-Wilfried Tsonga d'un côté et la résistance tactique de Julien Benneteau de l'autre.

Le 43e mondial pilonne le revers de son adversaire, ne lui donne pas d'angles, varie en montant au filet et tient malgré cinq balles de break, dont trois balles de set consécutives à 6-5. Il fait de son mieux, mais ce n'est pas suffisant. « Le premier set lui fait beaucoup de bien. A partir de là, il joue beaucoup mieux. Au premier set, j'arrive à tenir le score malgré un mauvais pourcentage au service et à l'amener au tie-break. Il n'était pas encore bien en place dans ses frappes. Puis il a vraiment haussé son niveau de jeu et il a vraiment très bien joué. Il était très solide dans tous les compartiments, relate admiratif Julien Benneteau qui ne peut déplorer qu'un seul regret son faible pourcentage au service (59% au total et 45% au premier set) et ses doubles fautes au tie-break. Il n'avait jamais joué aussi bien contre moi. C'était très fort au service et en coup droit et comme d'habitude, il couvre très bien le terrain et il est très bien en jambes. Cela devient compliqué. Sa puissance fait du dégât. »


Le 7e mondial commet quelques fautes directes au premier set, mais fait beaucoup courir son adversaire avec son grand décalage de coup droit et des amorties, ne connaît aucune alerte sur son service et finit par faire craquer son adversaire. « Je n'ai pas eu le sentiment de spécialement bien jouer. Mais aujourd'hui, j'ai plus de bouteille et j'ai appliqué ce que je devais faire à la perfection. Je n'ai pas fait ce qu'on peut appeler du beau jeu, c'est-à-dire frapper dans tous les sens, des smashes sautés ou des volées en extension, analyse le Manceau qui monte en puissance au fil des matches. Mais j'ai fait ce qu'il fallait pour gagner et je crois que c'est ce qui va m'aider à passer un cap. Aujourd'hui, j'essaie de gérer un peu mieux mes matches et pas forcément de faire du beau jeu. J'aime le beau jeu. Mais à un moment donné, on s'assagit. Au lieu de faire un rallye avec douze frappes de balles énormes, je préfère faire deux-trois merdes et faire rater mon adversaire. » Avec l'expérience, l'efficacité prend le pas sur le show. Au tie-break du premier set, deux doubles fautes condamnent le protégé de Thierry Champion.

Libéré, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga se transforme en rouleau-compresseur. « A un moment donné, c'est un peu cette impression. Sa balle gicle bien, il dégage de la puissance, décrypte le 43e mondial qui va retrouver le top 40. Il est très rapide vers l'avant. » Ses frappes détruisent la défense de Julien Benneteau et il peut dérouler jusqu'à la fin pour conclure sur un jeu blanc et une bonne première balle. Trois matches, trois victoires en trois sets. Comme son restaurant préféré à Manhattan, Le Tout va bien, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga dégage sérénité, confiance en soi et puissance. Physiquement, il ne s'est jamais senti aussi bien. Mentalement, il ne se pose aucune limite. Tennistiquement, il monte en puissance à chaque match. Pour son huitième de finale contre Fernando Gonzalez, tombeur (7-5, 6-4, 6-4) de Tomas Berdych, il aura besoin de réunir ces trois ingrédients. « J'ai envie d'être un peu plus agressif. Contre Fernando, si je lui donne la balle, je risque de ramasser des pâquerettes à chaque coin du terrain. Je vais m'appliquer à être plus offensif, prévient l'élève d'Eric Winogradsky. C'est un joueur qui aime bien jouer en confiance. Il aime bien être le patron. C'est ce que j'aime aussi. Il va y avoir du défi, pas seulement dans la frappe de balle, mais aussi dans l'attitude.»


Briefly : Benny was impressed by Jo on that one ("it was the best match he played against me"). I pass on the detail, but he thought his forehand, his serve and his movement were great. Jo said that he wasn't playing for the beautiful game this time (le beau jeu in french). He thinks it's a good way to make a step for his game to be able to push sometimes. The right sentence is this : "Instead of making a rally of twelve shots, I prefer doing two-three "shits" ( :lol: ) to make my opponent miss." I'd rather interpret this like he can play solid sometimes instead of going everytimes for the show. And indeed, it's going to make him take a step in tournament like grand slam. It's a key point to acheive consistency in today game.
Though don't panic for the gonzo match : "I want to be a little more agressive. Against Fernando, if I give him the ball, I risk to travel everywhere on the court (his french expression is untranslatable :lol: )..." It's going to be a match of punchers. :devil:
 
#291 ·
Gonzo said this in his interview :

Q. Next round you might play against Tsonga. What can you say about him and his game?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: He's a good player. He's been having really good results in the past two years. I think he's very aggressive. He serve really big. He have strong shots. We have to see who can makes more winners.

Q. There's a chance you might face Nadal in the quarterfinals. How do you feel about that?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: It's only a chance, because I have really tough match the next round. I don't want to think about that yet. Hopefully I can think in two more days.
But I have to be really focused for the next round.

Interesting :cool:

Jo's interviews by the american media on the Usopen official site are pathetic. I think they are underestimating him a little. Time to show it big, Jo :cool:
 
#292 · (Edited)
You're right MacArthur, this article is a little more tough, hope I haven't been too literal in the translations. Here goes:

“I will necessarily adopt a physically attacking game”

Before mounting the ring (boxing analogy), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga announced his intentions and he did not disappoint on the Grandstand in a convincing victory ( 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4 in 2h12') against Julien Benneteau. For one hour, the two players engaged in an arm wrestling match with the power of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on one hand and the tactical resistance of Julien Benneteau on the other.

The world no 43 pounded the backhand of his opponent, did not give him any angles, varied his game by moving up to the net, and held serve despite five breakpoints, including three consecutive set points at 6-5. He did his best, but it wasn’t enough.

“The first set did him a lot of good. From that moment on, he played much better. In the first set, I held serve despite a poor first serve percentage and took him to a tie-break. He wasn’t yet finding his shots. Then, he really upped his level of play and he played very well indeed. He was really solid in all departments.” Thus complimented Julien Benneteau, whose sole regret was his own poor service percentage (59% in total, and 45% in the first set) and his double faults in the tie-break. “He has never played as well against me. His serves and forehands were very powerful and as usual, he covered the court very well and he is very fit. It became complicated for me. His power does a lot of damage.”

The world number 7 committed some unforced errors in the first set, but made his opponent run a lot, shifting from big forehand to drop shots, was never in danger on his serve and ended up breaking down his opponent.

“I did not have the feeling of having played exceptionally well. But I now have more experience and I executed what I needed to do to perfection. I did not necessarily play a beautiful game, that is, hitting winners at will, slam dunk smashes or stretch volleys,” analysed the Manceau who gets stronger with each match. “But I did what I needed to do to win and I believe that’s what will help take me to the next level. Now, I try to manage my matches better and not necessarily play beautiful tennis. I love the beautiful game. But there’s a time to settle down. Instead of playing a twelve-shot rally, I prefer playing a few “sh*ts” to make my opponent miss.” With experience, efficiency takes precedence over the show. In the first set tie-break, two double faults condemned Thierry Champion’s charge.

Liberated, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was transformed into a steam-roller. “That’s the impression one got after a certain point. He hits the ball cleanly, he exudes power," deciphers the world number 43 who will regain the top 40. “He’s very rapid moving forwards.” His shots destroyed the defence of Julien Benneteau and he was able to cruise to the end, concluding with a love game and good first serve. Three matches, three victories in straight sets. Like his favourite restaurant in Manhattan, Le Tout, all is well, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga radiates serenity, self-confidence and power. Physically, he has never felt better. Mentally, he does not limit himself. Tennis-wise, he gets stronger with each match. For his R16 match against Fernando Gonzalez, the executioner (7-5, 6-4, 6-4) of Tomas Berdych, he will have to combine these three ingredients. “I want to be a bit more aggressive. Against Fernando, if I hand him the ball, I risk scrambling around all over the court. I will apply myself to be more offensive,” anticipates the student of Eric Winogradsky. "It’s a player who likes to play with confidence. He likes to be the boss. That’s what I like too. It will be a challenge for him, not only in the way he strikes the ball, but also in his attitude.”
 
#294 ·
Jo will play Jesse Huta Galung of the Netherlands for Davis Cup today. Good Luck!
There are audioclips on the fft site. I think Jo says that he believes they will win but they don't want to underestimate their opponents. They want to do their best.
http://www.fft.fr/coupe-davis/2009/pays-bas-France/?id=5310
 
#295 ·
Are there any German speaking Jojotards? The interview of the German tennis magazin is with Jo this month, I can (try to) scan it if anybody is interested.
Of course they ask him about his first name Jo-Wilfried, some people asked me in Hamburg too why the "German name".
 
#297 · (Edited)
It has nothing to do with Germany either in his case. And only "Wilfried" sounds German, not "Jo-Wilfried".
(He answers his parents wanted to call him Jonathan, but short before he was born, friends of them had a baby named Jonathan too, so they had to change in last minute. They wanted to keep the first part, "Jo", looked in the calendar for another name to go with it and picked Wilfried, it's completely random.
Jo-Wilfried is cooler than Jonathan!)

The quality of my scan is "not so great", sorry:


"On the court I'm a beast"
... and off the court a charmer: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga laughed a lot during the interview for tennis magazin.

I remember simplet wanted to refresh his German some time ago, so here you go, practice your German with Jo.
 
#298 ·
:lol: fun piece of trivia about the name picked from the calendar!:yeah: Thanks Truc, as always. I obviously don't understand German so whoever is up to the task, has my full support and gratitude.
 
#300 · (Edited)
So here is the translation. Hope you guys will excuse my english every now and then;)

In 2008 he stormed onto the ATP tour like a tsunami. This year he has established himself as one of the best players. In this interview he talks about his popularity, his african roots and his first name.

Monsieur Tsonga, around the world you have fans cheering for you. What is your secret?
There is no secret. I am who I am. I think that people like me because of the way I play and because I show my feelings. I am athletic. When I hit a smash I jump as high as a basketbal player. The public likes that.

Do you see yourself as a showman?No. I am not pretending. It’s just fun to play the way I play and I will never change the way I play. The problem is that sometimes my thoughts aren’t on the court. I lose my concentration- and a match could be gone.

Do you throw matches away?
Yes it happens. For me it’s important to feel good. I need to feel the public. I need the energy of the fans. When the atmosphere is lacking, I think to myself: what am I playing for? For nothing! I’d rather have the audience against me than an audience that doesn’t care.

Are you moody? (as in like moodswings)
(smiles) Yes, a little. I need good vibes, for inspiration. Tennis is a fight. When everything is right, I become an animal on court. Then my second ‘me’ comes out.

Does that mean that offcourt you are less extrovert?
I am calmer, I don’t like to be in the center of attention. I appreciate the small things in life: to be outside in nature, catching fish. I used to go fishing a lot, but I don’t have the time anymore. Now I go fishing maybe ten times a year.

I heard you like to cook?
Yes I do. Desserts are my specialty, especially tiramisu.

You are one of the stars on Tour. What differs you from Federer and Nadal?
A lot. Everybody has a different way to success. Federer mixes up his game perfectly, Nadal tries to tire his opponent out. Djokovic, Murray and Del Potro also have a different style. There is a lot of diversity. It’s so much fun to play in this era.

And you are playing the part of an artist?
I like all aspects of the game: the athleticism, the fighting, the beauty of the game. Most of all the enthusiasm. For example, Younes El Aynaoui, one of my favourite players. He had no backhand, he constantly hits forhands, goes to the net, volleys, smashes and yells “aarggh”: that’s entertainment!

When you win, you jump around the court and point at your back with your hands, like a soccer player after he’s scored a goal. What does this mean?
The first time I did that was when I beat Lleyton Hewitt at Queens two years ago. Because I won that match I entered the top 100. Since then it’s my lucky dance, my trademark. I celebrate with it after all my victories.

Do you think your fans expected more of you after your AO final in 2008?
Yeah but it makes sense that people would have expectations. I haven’t played that well ever since. I was unbelievably fast, punchy and fierce.

Rafael Nadal, whom you beat in the semi final, said: I had no chance to stop somebody playing at this level.
Everything fitted perfectly. I felt like in a videogame: everything I wanted to do, I could pull off. I was in complete controle.

After that you had a lot of injuries: Shoulder, back, abdomen and because of a kneeinjury you missed 6 months of last season. Did you play too much?
No, injuries are part of the life of a tennisplayer. You have to deal with it. But this period wasn’t that bad. I’ve watched matches from fellow players and I’ve learned from them. I’ve learned how you can train more effectively. Mentally I’ve become stronger. My dad used to say to me: Tennis is like life, you have to fight. Nothing comes naturally. You have to invest a lot, to succeed.

What else has your father taught you?
That you always have to repect your opponent. And yourself.

Is your body more prone to injuries than others?
I don’t believe so.

Could it be that your style of play is too risky?
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You remind us of your countryman Yannick Noah.
A lot of people say that. I know Yannick well. When people compare me to him, it flatters me ofcourse. When I was younger he trained with me a few times. He gave me advice.

Also, you are always compared with Muhammed Ali. Does that annoy you?
To be honest, I don’t really care anymore. Sure it’s great to be compared to one of the greatest athletes ever, but you come to a point where you don’t want to be like somebody else.

Have you seen Alis fights?
Yes ofcourse. I’ve seen several DVDs. My dad was at his famous fight in Kinshasa between him and George Foreman. He hasn’t told me a lot about it, I should ask him about it.

Last year you visited your grandfather for the first time in Brazzaville. What does Africa mean to you?
It’s a part of me. That’s where my roots are. When I was there, I flew in the presidents private jet. We ate and fished together. But to be honest, that wasn’t important to me. The most important thing was that I could meet my grandfather. He lives in a hut. I could have bought him a house, but he doesn’t want me to. When I saw him, I understood who I am and where I am from.

Your mother is French. Do you feel African or French?
its not like a feel a certain percent french, or a certain percent african. Africa is part of my personality. When I won Johannesburg in the beginning of the year, the feeling was amazing. The armosphere, the fans who were cheering- it was amazing. But when I’m playing Davis Cup for France, I also have a lot of emotions. I am a patriot.

In 2009 you won 2 tournaments, but in GSs you've never passed QFs. Are you happy with that?
Some things were okay, others were not. My defeat at Wimbledon, in the third round against Karlovic, where I lost in 4 tight sets, was difficult. But I have to accept something like that. In Montreal was the first time that I beat Federer, eventhough he was up 5-1 in the final set. In those cases I know I am not far from the top.

You still haven’t won the big title. Which Grand Slam tournament do you want to win the most?
All of them. Melbourne, because it means I have a great start of the season. Roland Garros, because it’s a home game. Wimbledon because of the tradition. And the US Open because I like the United States and also because I won that tournament as a junior.


Could you tell us what you have spent your price money on?
A house near Genf, where I live. That’s it.

You don’t live in Le Mans anymore?
No, but I am there a lot. Le Mans is still my favourite soccer team in the french competition. My brother Enzo has played basketball for Le Mans, one of the best teams in the competition.

Le Mans is also known for its 24-hours race.
I definitely want to go and see it next year.

One last question: Tell us how you got your first name. It sounds a bit german!
I know, but it’s not a reference to Germany. Originally my parents wanted to call me Jonathan, but right before I was born friends of my parents also named their newborn Jonathan. So two days before I was born, they had to find another name. They wanted to keep the first part ‘Jo’. They went through a calender to find names that they could combine with Jo. And they found Jo-Wilfried.
 
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