2015 Preview: ATP No. 12, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Over the years, this spectacularly gifted Frenchman has kept his ardent fans on tenterhooks, wondering if he will finally win the Grand Slam title that has continued to elude him since losing the 2008 Australian Open final. The sands in the hourglass are running out, though, as Tsonga will be 30 by the time he takes the court at the French Open.

Tsonga holds out hope because of performances like his in Toronto, where he bagged his second career Masters title. He had a spectacular run: From the third round on he defeated, in succession, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, and Roger Federer—losing but one set along the way. That’s an impressive week’s work, but in all-too familiar fashion, Tsonga’s star quickly went dark. He lost in straights to Murray in the fourth round of the US Open and ended the year quietly, failing to mount a serious bid to reach the ATP World Tour Finals. For a player of Tsonga’s caliber, one title isn’t nearly enough.

Tsonga has always been injury-prone, but if he stays healthy and finds the motivation and determination that so often seems missing, he still might make a career statement. His title run in Toronto demonstrated that when he’s dialed in, he can beat anyone. Whether Tsonga has it in him to make a big push is another question entirely.

Tsonga has had a fine career. He’s never seemed the most ambitious player, and that helps explain why the main highlights of his resume are two Masters titles. But as he gets older, and less capable of reaping wins simply because of his talent, the slope of the rankings becomes more slippery.

Tsonga needs to sit down and ask himself: Do I really want to go quietly into the night? A big, strong player, there’s really no limit to what he could do, provided his commitment is there.

For more 2015 season previews, click here.