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Novak Djokovic might have all tennis records to his name but often continues to polarise enthusiasts of the sport around the world. This is largely because of being very opinionated, straightforward and on court, perhaps mechanical-like as Djokovic is someone does not bother to be liked or not, with winning being his priority. According to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, that wasn’t the case many years ago with the World No.1 as he was bogged down due to constant comparisons with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
There is a strong perception till date that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal continue to be more popular among fans, pundits and the media than Novak Djokovic. Federer and Nadal are perceived to be gracious, patient, measured, sporty and diplomatic amongst many qualities that make them lovable. In an interview with Generation Do It Yourself Podcast, Tsonga has claimed that Djokovic tried to be like the duo to try and win the affection of the fans. The Frenchman believes Djokovic was hiding his true personality for a long time.
Tsonga is now happy that the 24-time Grand Slam champion is not shy anymore of showcasing his ‘warrior-like personality’, which is truly who he is. He opined that had Djokovic done this from the beginning rather than pressurizing himself to fit into the Federer and Nadal mould, he would have been loved especially from the time he started winning more against them, which was roughly from 2011 onwards. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was quoted as saying –
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Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga faced each other in a span of 11 years. The two tennis stars played some classic men’s singles matches. Tsonga, famous for his flamboyant style of play, enjoyed some success against the Serbian in the initial years of their rivalry. However, Novak Djokovic turned the tables around eventually.
Djokovic leads Tsonga 17-6 on head-to-head. The Serbian last faced the Frenchman at the Australian Open in 2019, where he won in straight sets. Although Djokovic has enjoyed great success against Tsonga, it was the Frenchman who started off well in the rivalry. Until 2010, Tsonga was leading Djokovic 5-2 in head-to-head, before the Serbian eventually took control of the rivalry.
Interestingly, Tsonga was the man Djokovic beat in the final of the Australian Open 2008, to win the first Grand Slam of his career. The duo also clashed in the 2011 Wimbledon semifinals and the Serbian legend won that too, which was critical for him as it enabled him to make it into his first-ever Wimbledon final. Djokovic beat the then defending champion and reigning French Open champion, Nadal to win his first grass court Grand Slam.
