Tsonga struggled with significant injuries the past few seasons that saw his ranking balloon out past 250 at one point in 2018. For him to push into the top 30 finishing the year at 29 is a mighty effort. He won titles at Metz and Montpellier continuing his career trend of playing well in his home country.
Tsonga’s game style has followed the modern trend with a big serve and big forehand his significant weapons of choice. At 34 years of age, those two shots and staying injury-free will be the key to whether he can stay inside the top 30 in 2020. Thoughts for Tsonga are forceful, offensive and passionate.
Forceful: He is 188cms (6′ 2″) which is not tall for a tennis player, but he has a powerful body and presence on the court with his imposing power.
Offensive: Tsonga plays with an attacking style and likes to take the initiative and try to win points rather than waiting for opponent mistakes.
Passionate: He plays with passion and shows his emotions on the court. He plays with a particular flair in front of his home fans.
Likes: Takes the game on with big serve and crunching forehands.
Dislikes: Tsonga is so likeable, and no dislikes from me.
Areas for improvement: His backhand and return are the weakest parts of his game. At 34 could he improve them? It is improbable given the backhand particularly has needed improving for many years. For Tsonga, I suspect it is a matter of staying fit, refining his strengths which are; serve, forehand and volley and strategizing well to maximize their usage as often as possible. Jo’s homework is to watch another player with a superb forehand, serve and volley who is well past 30 years old and knows how to maximize his strengths on YouTube.
