Among all the ATP players, none has seemed on the cusp of a Grand Slam breakthrough more consistently than Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The current ATP No. 7 was an Australian Open finalist in 2008, and he’s been to the semis at Wimbledon for the past two years. In 2011, he roared back from two sets down to eliminate Roger Federer in the quarters before before falling to the ultimate champion, Novak Djokovic. Tsonga has been playing well; he’s entrenched in the second-five rankings-wise, and has a big game that can catch fire anytime—as it did during the French Open, where he toppled Federer in the quarterfinals once again—only to find himself frustrated by the David Ferrer puzzle in the semifinals. Blessed with an explosive, power-based game that translates well on all surfaces, Tsonga hasn’t ever had—or made—that one break that might put him over the top as a Grand Slam champ.
Why He’ll Win:
Tsonga has shored up his backhand; it could be the missing piece of the puzzle for this power-player whose athleticism is such a great asset at Wimbledon.
Why He Won’t:
Things always seem to go awry at crucial times for Tsonga. While he’s a terrific semifinalist or quarterfinalist, he’s blown too many chances to rise above that class.
Bottom Line:
The strides Tsonga has made under Roger Rasheed (his coach since early this year) may be enough to catapult him from interesting and appealing also-ran to Grand Slam champ.
Click on each player's photo to see our thoughts on their Wimbledon prospects.