Jo-Wilfried Tsonga says the chances that a French man will win Roland Garros are zero.
"Let's be clear, there is no chance that a French win Roland Garros," he told reporters in Rome. "There is no inevitability in my comments. It's just an observation. But not to be able win a Masters 1000 clay, then a Grand Slam seems impossible."
Yannick Noah, who was the last French man to win Roland Garros in 1983, told L'Equipe that he was disappointed with Tsonga's statements.
"It is useless to say, 'This year I will win," Noah said. "However, dreaming of winning, that's fine. The worst thing is not even dreaming of victory. What happens is that the French do not even dream of winning. French players perform better on other surfaces, which is a shame because they do not have the chance to play well at home."