It’s never easy carrying the hopes of a whole nation on your shoulders but Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is no stranger to the feeling and the Frenchman has done well in the past to play under the pressure of home expectation at Roland Garros.
In his six appearances in Paris, Tsonga has made the second week four times, including a quarter-final showing in 2012 and a heroic semi-final journey last year.
But the 29-year-old enters his home Slam this season ranked outside the top-10 and coming off a series of lacklustre results.
Having slipped to No14 in the world, Tsonga faces a tougher draw than he had experienced in his last two French Open campaigns.
He hasn’t won a title in 15 months and admits – ahead of his opening round against his countryman, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, today – that things could be better but he’s still confident in his abilities.
When asked how he would describe his season so far, Tsonga found no need to embellish, saying: “I can describe it very simply. It was not that good!
“Usually I start better in my year. But it’s tennis. I had many problems last year in the second half of the season with my knees and it was not easy to deal with it, so I lost a bit of time with that. And then to come back and find your best level. It’s never easy.
“So it was a tough start, but I still believe I can play good tennis. During all these months I worked pretty hard. So I think I’m ready now to play.”
The French crowd are known to be one of the most critical on the circuit and it’s not always easy to get on their good side.
Last year, they were expected to rally behind Tsonga as he made the semis and was bidding to becoming the first home men’s singles champion in 30 years, but instead, the stands were virtually empty when a majority of spectators decided to leave following a lengthy match between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Does he perhaps feel less pressure going into this fortnight, now that he’s down to the second best player in France (behind Richard Gasquet) and isn’t considered one of the favourites?
“Not really, because anyway I expect a lot from me, especially here. I know it’s always a lot of pressure,” said Tsonga.
“I always play my best tennis here, so I hope I will continue on this way and play good tennis.”
He’s also not discouraged by his lower seeding, even though he faces a potential fourth round against second-seed Novak Djokovic.
“It’s also an opportunity, because if you beat a top player early in the tournament, your draw opens up. When you play them later, you lose everything,” Tsonga explains.
“So if I remember, I made a final in the Australian Open (in 2008) and I was not seeded, but I was able to beat Andy first round and it opened up my side of the draw.”
Also due to start his campaign on Court Philippe Chatrier today is 2009 champion Roger Federer, who takes on Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko.
The Swiss, who fell to Tsonga in the quarters last year, says he’s feeling strong and ready to grind his way through best-of-five matches but the No4 seed is wary of the weather, with rain expected to make numerous appearances throughout the opening week.
“It’s clearly also going to have an impact on the matches,” said Federer of the rain.
“The only thing is the way you manage those rain delays. Sometimes the rain starts at a very bad moment either for you or for the opponent or for the spectators, at the worst moment of the match. So this is the first week you just need to win those matches one way or another, however you do it. Even if it’s not a good game, never mind.”
