“I’ve seen them all.. Djokovic, Nadal… I’ve seen everybody (party)” – Tsonga

Invited to a podcast, the Frenchman also spoke about Novak Djokovic’s unpopularity at the expense of his two rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Image Credit – Jonathan Rebboah / Panoramic

Lucas Morlier

December 21, 2023

Haresh Ramchandani

Retired since last year and the 2022 edition of Roland-Garros, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga continues to make news in the tennis world. The front-runner for the position of the French Davis Cup team captain, Tsonga did not eventually get what he wanted (Paul-Henri Mathieu was named captain).

Invited on the podcast “Generation Do It Yourself”, Tsonga spoke on a number of topics including the nightlife scene on the professional tour, and on the compatibility between the two.

“Is it possible to have big parties and have a blast when you’re a professional? Sure, maybe I shouldn’t say it, but yes! I’ve seen them all, don’t let anyone come and tell me anything. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal… I’ve seen everybody (party),” said the 38-year-old.

“You just have to do it at the right time, not during a tournament. It’s not ideal, let’s be honest, but to last the circuit for 40 weeks around the world for 15 years, you have to have a lot of fun and enjoy it from time to time.”

“Djokovic wanted to be Federer or Nadal” – Tsonga

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also addressed the subject of Novak Djokovic‘s unpopularity, and compared the Serb to his two rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who are much more loved by the public. Tsonga doesn’t understand why the Serb chose, for a long time in his career, to want to be like his peers.

“He wanted to be Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, when maybe he should have been himself all along. I think today he’s himself. And even though it’s divisive, I think that’s why it’s appreciated by a lot of people. Because now he’s completely honest […] He wanted to get out of this image of a warrior that he has, because he is a Serb, who went through difficult things in his childhood. So he’s a warrior, he should have assumed it from the beginning. I think he would have been liked for that,” he said.

Like it or not, Novak Djokovic seems to have put an end to the G.O.A.T. debate after this year 2023. Thanks to his titles at the Australian Open, French Open and US Open this year, the Serb now owns 24 Grand Slam titles, two more than Rafael Nadal, and four more than Roger Federer.