Jo-Wilfried Tsonga says that French players should emulate the camaraderie and competitive spirit Spanish men exhibit.
“We do everything to change this statistic that we didn't win a lot of Davis Cup and we don't have players in the top five,” Tsonga told reporters. “Maybe we still need time and is gonna happen. But for the moment, we have to work and we have to be all together. We have to push each other towards the top or motivate each other towards the top. We have to work together like the Spanish guys did. They always have dinner together. They always spend time together. They discuss a lot. I think it make Spain have a really good spirit. We are close, but we have to be more close.”
Both nations have seven men ranked in the top 50, but Spain has two Top 5 players in Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, while France does not have a Top 5-ranked man. Tsonga, the 2008 Australian Open runner-up, is the only member of his generation of Frenchmen to have reached a Grand Slam singles final. Tsonga said he believes a Frenchman can break through and win a major.
“I think we have the potential to [have a Grand Slam champion],” Tsonga said. “But the potential is not enough; we have to do it. We have some players who play semis sometimes. I think we're already able to do a little bit more.”