- published: 20 Oct 2015
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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (French pronunciation: [(d)ʒo vilfʁid t͡sɔŋɡa]; born (1985-04-17)April 17, 1985) is a French professional tennis player. He was born in Le Mans, to a French mother, Évelyne, and a Congolese father, Didier, who moved to France in the 1970s to play handball. Tsonga is a member of the Tennis Club de Paris (TCP). His current career-high singles ranking is World No. 5, which he achieved on February 27, 2012.
Tsonga rose to fame by virtue of his performance in the 2008 Australian Open when, as an unseeded player, he reached the final, having defeated four seeded players along the way, including earning a straight sets win over the then world number two Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Tsonga eventually lost to the then world no. 3 Novak Djokovic in the final in four sets, after winning the first set, the only set Djokovic dropped during the tournament.
Tsonga followed this up by winning his first ATP Masters Series championship at the 2008 Paris Masters, thus qualifying for the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, China. His best performances in a major tournament since 2008 are semifinal appearances in the 2010 Australian Open and 2011 Wimbledon Championships. He also reached the final of the 2011 ATP World Tour Finals where he lost to five-time and defending champion Roger Federer.