Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: “Rafael Nadal, shouldn’t we say he’s spoiled?”

[Frenchy-Player]

I don't tking he have something against Nadal, just tired by french medias...

Do the French players know how to hurt themselves enough to win?

Tsonga: “Me, I won a silver medal in games with a broken finger (in my 2012 husband in London, editor’s note)… That’s not the root of the problem. We always say French players are rotten. I, I am not spoiled rotten! I come from the countryside, My father is an immigrant, my parents have always lived by religion. I grew up an upbringing that was not strict and rigid, but straight. Today who is predetermined? A little man, left home alone, but who was the fifth in the world, who reached the final of a Grand Slam, and who is today an investor ??Rafa, his uncle was a great player from Barcelona, his father is a famous businessman, they live in a place where the sea is right below his room, he has a tennis court in his garden, we don’t say he’s spoiled?, They always come to break us, to tell us we’re not okay, we have no brains.. .”

Tennis – ATP – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: "Rafael Nadal, shouldn’t we say he’s spoiled?"

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga arrived at the end of the road. At the age of 36, while contemplating his retirement, the former world number 5 decided to take a look back at the career that led

salidachristiancounseling.com

 

[TripleATeam]

Yeah, he's just saying he grew up less privileged than players like Nadal, which is clearly true. In many sports, but especially tennis, those with access to resources tend to succeed more often.

 

[junior74]

 

[JustMy2Cents]

Yeah, he's just saying he grew up less privileged than players like Nadal, which is clearly true. In many sports, but especially tennis, those with access to resources tend to succeed more often.

And I might argue that a rich guy like Rafa with a boat and other luxuries at his disposal from childhood had no monetary incentive to put in grueling work to become a pro.

It's not less commendable when such a person puts in effort for personal greatness instead of enjoying family fortunes

 

[MadariKatu]

Privileged? Yes. Spoiled? Maybe. But it has nothing to do with Tsonga winning silver with a broken finger (hadn't heard this; impressive). I mean, it's not as if Nadal didn't have to endure injuries or lacks a fighting spirit or work ethic...

 

[RaulRamirez]

And I might argue that a rich guy like Rafa with a boat and other luxuries at his disposal from childhood had no monetary incentive to put in grueling work to become a pro.

It's not less commendable when such a person puts in effort for personal greatness instead of enjoying family fortunes

Good point!

 

[Deleted member 788697]

I've never liked Tsonga, very annoying voice, annoying words too in this case.

 

[TheNachoMan]

Peak Tsonga >>>> Peak Nadal

 

[Deleted member 788697]

2022 Nadal would have annihilated 2008 Tsonga, because 2022 Nadal controls the points and takes the net away.

 

[merwy]

Just want to point out that this looks like a google translate level of translation which might miss some key nuances in a story like this.

 

[PrinceMoron]

Uncle Toni made him play with cr@p balls so he could play with anything without complaining. Shut up Tsonga

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Peak Tsonga >>>> Peak Nadal

such an exquisite vintage denadalization... he really steak-tartared the rusty peak injured golden bull
kinda clip that puts you in a good mood, even on a gloomy day...

 

[RaulRamirez]

Context.
I don't think that Tsonga was criticizing Rafa. He was a bit defensive, as the premise (in his mind) is that the French players have taken, but aren't great competitors. I'm sure he's heard it often.

But as @JustMy2Cents pointed out, growing up somewhat affluent like Rafa shows that he's not spoiled - he still works his ass off.

 

[Mustard]

He's hardly Ernests Gulbis or Jessica Pegula.

 

[TheNachoMan]

such an exquisite vintage denadalization... he really steak-tartared the rusty peak injured golden bull
kinda clip that puts you in a good mood, even on a gloomy day...

They don’t make youngsters like they used to. Medvedev and Shapo can’t even beat a geriatric broken body Nadal, Tsonga annihilated a Peakdal.

 

[The Blond Blur]

Man Tsonga is salty as hell.

 

[catskillthunder]

Tsonga hasn't beaten Nadal since 2015 and Nadal has beaten him 4 of the last 5. It's striking to me that they've only played 3 times in GS tournaments.

 

[TheNachoMan]

I have more respect for players like Frances Tiafoe than Taylor Fritz, for obvious reasons. Tennis has a classist problem.

 

[Frenchy-Player]

Just want to point out that this looks like a google translate level of translation which might miss some key nuances in a story like this.

I read the original declaration and there's no big differences, but for context Tsonga is a little overwhelmed for years by the medias who said that the frenchs players are spoiled, dn"t work enough, are sometimes out of shape, no mental, and that if if they train seriously, they could beat players like Nadal or Djokovic and in GS.

 

[Deleted member 788697]

Tiafoe is the opposite of humble, one of the most arrogant oncourt personalities ever, constant showboating and corny antics.
The sooner we send Tiafoe into retirement, the better.

Did you just mix up Tsonga and Tiafoe?? They have one thing in common but they’re not the same person

They are both annoying..... but Tsonga is annoying off the court (his french accent is annoying), while Tiafoe is annoying on the court (showboating, arrogant antics with the crowd).

 

[Fabresque]

Tiafoe is the opposite of humble, one of the most arrogant oncourt personalities ever, constant showboating and corny antics.
The sooner we send Tiafoe into retirement, the better.

Global tennis rule maker TTW has recently announced the removal of all personalities on the ATP tour. Effective immediately, anybody who shows energy or a resemblance of difference is to be sentenced to life in prison. Only robots are allowed to compete in tennis.

 

[clayqueen]

Take Nadal and Gasquet who grew up in tennis together and were a match for each other. Gasquet was touted to be the next best thing but his career never really took off. He sometimes looks like he can't be bothered to try.

 

[Deleted member 765728]

A spoiled person doesn't train for hours every day over two decades.

 

[Sampras-Bruguera 1993]

Well.. At least Nadal accomplished countless titles of note. That still takes hard work. You dont get the slam record without busting your rear and putting in the work. . I dont care what kind of teenage prodigy you are like Nadal. What have you accomplished Jo MUGongna?

 

[Deleted member 788697]

Did Tsonga work as hard as Nadal?
Most experts doubt it.

 

[merwy]

Tiafoe is the opposite of humble, one of the most arrogant oncourt personalities ever, constant showboating and corny antics.
The sooner we send Tiafoe into retirement, the better.

Did you just mix up Tsonga and Tiafoe?? They have one thing in common but they’re not the same person

 

[Frenchy-Player]

Did Tsonga work as hard as Nadal?
Most experts doubt it.

No and he eats Kinder Bueno too.

 

[TripleATeam]

And I might argue that a rich guy like Rafa with a boat and other luxuries at his disposal from childhood had no monetary incentive to put in grueling work to become a pro.

It's not less commendable when such a person puts in effort for personal greatness instead of enjoying family fortunes

No one said it was. Nadal put in the effort, obviously, but he had things at his disposal Tsonga never would've had. The only thing Nadal needed was motivation and effort, whereas someone lower class would've needed motivation, effort, and the cash to start off - leading to more risks/perhaps less effective training.

Nadal's path had fewer obstacles, but he still had to run its entire length. His monstrous effort combined with good genetics are the main factors for his success, but privilege helped him at the start.

 

[toby55555]

Given their strength in depth from a huge participation base it is surprising though that France hasn't had a male GS champ since Noah in '83; so much success in other sports little wonder their media is less than understanding.

 

[junior74]

Take Nadal and Gasquet who grew up in tennis together and were a match for each other. Gasquet was touted to be the next best thing but his career never really took off. He sometimes looks like he can't be bothered to try.

True. And he is not alone... If there is one single aspect in tennis where I think Rafa really stands out, it's this: Play every point the best you can. It's an easy philosophy that is very hard to live by, but I belive Rafa does just that.

 

[Red Rick]

**** Delpo

Is there any man who doesn't like Tsonga?

 

[Bartelby]

The Manchego cheese is, indeed, spoiled.

 

[Deleted member 765728]

No and he eats Kinder Bueno too.

Smart guy, knows how to enjoy life.

 

[TennisLurker]

This is not about Nadal
The french press accuses french tennis players of being mentally weak unambitious middle class kids who don't know what to do against adversity

Tsonga answers that's ********, I didn't have a pampered childhood, and Nadal who won a lot had an ideal upbringing.

He is fighting the narrative of the french press

 

[Blahovic]

He's obviously saying that it's ridiculously to criticise the poor son of an immigrant for reaching the top of a rich man's sport. The French players of that generation took a lot of criticism for not winning a slam and were attacked for being mentally weak.
Rafa is just used as a foil to demonstrate what Tsonga accomplished.

Nadal is basically the perfect professional, but it's true that growing up rich with a tennis coach for your uncle in a sporting family in a wealthy Western country with great weather is basically the best possible circumstances a potential athlete could have growing up. Few kids in the world have that environment. It's worthy of praise when someone reaches the top of the men's game without being from a rich country or family, because it rarely happens.

There's a lot of kids in Africa who could be great players if they had the right circumstances

 

[Subway Tennis]

Just want to point out that this looks like a google translate level of translation which might miss some key nuances in a story like this.

Agree. Witholding jusgment on Tsonga. Needs more context and something that looks like a legitimate transaction.

OP frenchy player also has a terrible record for posting questionable content and flaming.

 

[Frenchy-Player]

Agree. Witholding jusgment on Tsonga. Needs more context and something that looks like a legitimate transaction.

OP frenchy player also has a terrible record for posting questionable content and flaming.

You can ignore me if you don't like my threads ther's a link of the interview in the first post, if you want to to see the "context".

 

[intrepidish]

I don't tking he have something against Nadal, just tired by french medias...

You're right; Jo actually considers Nadal a friend and has had many French interviews full of incredible praise for Nadal (and vice versa too).

This is definitely more about the treatment of French players in France and it's a longstanding complaint all of them of Jo's generation have had about their media treatment.

By all of them I mean Tsonga, Gasquet, Gael and especially Simon who took it upon himself to settle quite a few scores when he published his autobiography not too long ago.

In Simon's case, he didn't focus on the different treatment compared to Nadal but rather the unfair way that Federer was used by the French media and tennis establishment to bash the French guys and hurt the model for French tennis development.



EDIT - Here's the original article:

Tsonga : "Et Nadal, on ne dit pas qu'il est gâté ?"

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga s'est penché sur sa carrière lors d'un entretien accordé à l'AFP avant son entrée en lice dans le tournoi provençal, mercredi.

www.eurosport.fr

The 1st question in the OP should properly be translated to English as: "Do French players know how to suffer enough/dig deeply enough to win?" which should tell you what Tsonga is trying to counter here.

 

[onefineday]

I find Tsonga's argument a little extreme. Nadal as a benchmark is a bit much. So, if you are not as privileged as Nadal, you are not privileged at all? How did Tsonga get the funding to be a tennis pro then?

 

[TearTheRoofOff]

TL;DR: Nadal is sucks.

 

[Deleted member 762343]

It's what people do when they're frustrated because they fail, they need to use external reasons as excuses to explain their lack of success. It's a way of coping because it's too hard to accept they're simply not talented enough.

 

[Incognito]

They don’t make youngsters like they used to. Medvedev and Shapo can’t even beat a geriatric broken body Nadal, Tsonga annihilated a Peakdal.

This was actually a shocking result. Just like when hangover Safin pulverized peak Djokovic at wimbledon that same year.

 

[Anurag Kashyap]

I think we should take away Rafael's slams and distribute them among Tsonga, Gasquet, Guru and Simon.

 

[Anurag Kashyap]

Pretty sure Jo Willy didn't mean Rafa was spoiled but some of his "fans" definitely spoiled themselves reading this.

 

[Kralingen]

Tsonga didn’t work very hard and gave into partying more than most did,

but he is a great example of a player who was actually affected by serious injuries changing the course of his career. I think Rafa has insane work ethic and commitment, but let's be fair and admit that he has outlier longevity and health.

 

[RaulRamirez]

Tsonga didn’t work very hard and gave into partying more than most did,

but he is a great example of a player who was actually affected by serious injuries changing the course of his career. I think Rafa has insane work ethic and commitment, but let's be fair and admit that he has outlier longevity and health.

Agree with the Tsonga part, as to injuries - I'm not aware of his partying, etc - could be true.

Per Rafa, I don't think he's had outlier health.
His talent and fierce desire has enabled him to have outlier longevity. Many people with his physical issues would've long since retired.

 

[The Big Foe fan]

Yeah, he's just saying he grew up less privileged than players like Nadal, which is clearly true. In many sports, but especially tennis, those with access to resources tend to succeed more often.

No-whack disagrees firmly. Grew up in a war torn country, the risk he took to play in those days could've easily got him killed or became a handicapped person by one of the many bombs fired by NATO, but he mentally held himself together.

 

[Kralingen]

Agree with the Tsonga part, as to injuries - I'm not aware of his partying, etc - could be true.

Per Rafa, I don't think he's had outlier health.
His talent and fierce desire has enabled him to have outlier longevity. Many people with his physical issues would've long since retired.

Meh… I basically think the extent of Nadal’s injuries as they relate to his long term health are overrated, while his injuries as they relate to his short term (match by match) health are somewhat underrated.
Tsonga had glass ankles and had multiple setbacks after his best seasons of ‘08-11.

i just don’t think the whole “most injured man in tennis” moniker is a fair representation of Rafa’s situation when you compare him, a 21 Slam winner to players who have actually had their careers ruined by injury. That’s all I meant by it.

 

[The Big Foe fan]

Agree with the Tsonga part, as to injuries - I'm not aware of his partying, etc - could be true.

Per Rafa, I don't think he's had outlier health.
His talent and fierce desire has enabled him to have outlier longevity. Many people with his physical issues would've long since retired.

Nadal and his camp have established world class excellence at exaggerating a small rash as a life threatening cut of sword on main blood vessel, so naah I'm not buying any of his injuries except for the one in 2016, when he actually pulled out of RG.

 

[octobrina10]

such an exquisite vintage denadalization... he really steak-tartared the rusty peak injured golden bull
kinda clip that puts you in a good mood, even on a gloomy day...

I wonder why Fed devotees become furious when someone gives them a taste of their own medicine.