Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (; born ) is a French professional tennis player. He was born in Le Mans, to a French mother, Évelyne, and a Congolese father, Didier, who moved to France in the 1970s to play handball.Tsonga is a member of the Tennis Club de Paris (TCP).

Tsonga rose to fame by virtue of his performance in the 2008 Australian Open when, as an unseeded player, he reached the final, having defeated four seeded players along the way, including earning a straight sets win over the then world number two Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Tsonga eventually lost to the then world number three Novak Djokovic in the final in four sets, after winning the first set – the only set Djokovic dropped during the tournament.

Tsonga followed this up by winning his first ATP Masters Series championship at the 2008 Paris Masters, thus qualifying for the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, China. His best performances in a major tournament since 2008 are semifinal appearances in the 2010 Australian Open and 2011 Wimbledon Championships.

Background

Tsonga is of mixed ancestry. His father, Didier Tsonga, is Congolese and his mother Évelyne is French. Jo's father moved to France during the 1970s to fulfill his own dreams of becoming a handball great, where he eventually met Évelyne and they married. Tsonga is nicknamed the Muhammad Ali of Tennis, because of his facial resemblance to the boxer.Stutchbury, Greg. , "Reuters UK Edition" January 29, 2010....
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