Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has big dreams but reality often turns to nightmare at grand slams

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 29, is the only man to boast a win against each of those Big Four at grand slam tournaments, and yet he has failed to reach a grand slam tournament final since his amazing run at the 2008 Australian Open, when he made the grade as an unseeded world No 38.

France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates after beating Switzerland's Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 to win the Rogers Cup singles final in Toronto. Chris Young / AP Photo

Last December, when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga arrived in the UAE for the Mubadala World Tennis Championship at Abu Dhabi, the Frenchman was asked if the dominance of the “Big Four” over the years had left him a bit deflated or ­frustrated.

Tsonga’s answer was no, and he claimed that his motivation was higher than probably that of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

“Roger, now, I don’t know what he’d dream about,” he said. “I dream about my first major. He’s already got 17, so what does he dream about?

“Or even Rafa or Novak. They win everything. But for me it’s even more exciting than for them, because I haven’t won a ­major.”

Fans, though, wonder why he has not won a grand slam title. Nicknamed Muhammad Ali for his resemblance to a young Cassius Clay, Tsonga is one of the most exciting athletes in tennis, with talent that most can only dream of.

He has a mighty serve and a blistering forehand. His volleys are up with the best, and he can hit winners from anywhere on the court.

Tsonga, 29, is the only man to boast a win against each of those Big Four at grand slam tournaments, and yet he has failed to reach a grand slam tournament final since his amazing run at the 2008 Australian Open, when he made the grade as an unseeded world No 38.

In the semis at that event, he walloped Nadal 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 but then lost in four to Djokovic.

That, unfortunately, has been the trend in his career since. He won the last two sets to down Djokovic in the 2010 Australian Open quarter-final, but lost to Federer in three in the semis.

At Wimbledon in 2011 he fought back from two sets down to beat Federer in the quarters, but then lost in four to Djokovic.

Last year at Roland Garros, Tsonga was looking to become the first Frenchman to reach the final since Henri Leconte in 1988 after an impressive straight-sets win over Federer, but imploded in the semis against David Ferrer, losing 1-6, 6-7, 2-6.

Those results suggest a mental frailty, or perhaps the absence of that iron will that sets the champions apart.

Perhaps Tsonga’s upbringing still defines the man on the court.

“My parents always taught me not to be a good tennis player or the best in what I’m doing, but to be polite,” Tsonga said in an interview last year. He has tried to stay true to those values on the tennis court and has managed to endear himself to fans.

He is among the most likeable guys on the Tour, but the absence of a grand slam title trophy on his shelf does rankle.

His legion of fans will be pulling for him at the US Open.

After his dream week at Toronto, their hopes will certainly be high.

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