Fans were quite excited to see the return of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the court at the Montpellier Open 2021. The French tennis star was making a comeback, having last played professional tennis at the Australian Open 2020.

Although Jo-Wilfried Tsonga didn’t have a comeback that he would have expected, fans were quite happy to see him back on the court. He lost to American young star Sebastian Korda in straight sets in the first round. The final scoreline of the match was 4-6, 2-6.

In a recent interview, the 35-year-old mentioned that the comeback was a big win for him. He revealed the challenges he faced in the last year and how thoughts of quitting the game also came to his mind at one point.

“It’s a huge victory after a year. I spent days, weeks, months wondering if I was going to be able to replay or not, torturing my mind to know if it was better to stop. or continue. At one point, I let go. I said to myself: you have sufficient experience, you have hurt yourself well, your body is already well traumatized and each time you have been able to bounce back,” explained Tsonga. (Translated by Google Translate)

It was surely difficult to make a comeback after an injury, especially if a player is in his mid-thirties. However, Tsonga didn’t give up and considered this as a great victory for himself.

Read More: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Recalls the Historic Battle of Beating Roger Federer

“Dream would be to play Roland Garros”- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

The Australian Open 2008 runner-up expressed that he wanted to prove himself again. He disclosed that his next goal would be to play the French Open 2021 and he would be playing tennis again just like a kid.

“My motivation is to be clear with me, to prove to myself that once again I am capable of doing things, to make myself happy… I’m going to play tennis again like a kid, with a smile.  My dream would be to play Roland-Garros, to be able to take pleasure again in a big atmosphere,” added the French player.

Tsonga also highlighted that pain is something that he has been battling for a long time. He said that he started his career like that and it would most probably end like this only.

“To stop on a huge match would be exceptional. In the meantime, I manage the pain on a daily basis. I started my career like this, I’m going to end it like this. But I want to finish it anyway,” concluded the 35-year-old.

Tsonga will surely try to play a few matches in order to prepare himself for Roland Garros 2021. Fans still have huge expectations from him and want him to deliver in the next few matches. Can Tsonga lift a Grand Slam title before his retirement?

Also Read: Gilles Simon Reveals Why Jo Wilfried Tsonga Did Not Win a Slam with Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic