Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has hired Australian Roger Rasheed as his new coach, L’Equipereports.
Tsonga has been without a coach for about a year and a half, while Rasheed stopped coaching Tsonga’s countryman Gael Monfils in July of 2011 after three years together. Tsonga, currently ranked No. 7, had been the only member of the Top 10 without a coach. Tsonga’s last coach was Eric Winogradsky.
While Tsonga has done reasonably well on his own, winning four titles in the past two years, the 2008 Australian Open finalist has grown frustrated that he has been unable to win a Masters Series or Grand Slam title recently, during the reign of tennis’ so-called Big Four: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray.
Rasheed is known to be a good motivator and has reportedly been working with Tsonga this week in Paris ahead of the Bercy Masters, which begins on Monday. He also coached former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt from mid-2003 to 2007.