Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula recently shared their thoughts on the ongoing feud between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Patrick Mouratoglou. The American players labeled Mouratoglou’s comments about the former World No. 5 as “disrespectful.”
Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Patrick Mouratoglou Feud
The conflict between Tsonga and Mouratoglou originated when the French player expressed that the overall strength of ATP players was significantly greater in the past, with prominent players such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Juan Martín del Potro, among others, on tour. He compared this to the current crop of ATP players, which he feels only includes strong contenders in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Mouratoglou disagreed with Tsonga’s assessment, asserting that today’s top players are not any weaker or less formidable than those in previous generations. He also mentioned that Tsonga had only one “prime” season during his career.
Tsonga found Mouratoglou’s comment offensive, arguing that the coach, having never been a professional tennis player himself, cannot fully understand the challenges of the sport.
In light of the feud, during a recent episode of “The Player’s Box Podcast,” Keys described Mouratoglou’s remark about Tsonga having only one successful year as “pretty disrespectful” and a “bold statement.”
“I thought it was pretty disrespectful for Patrick to say that Jo only had one good year. It was a pretty bold statement,” Keys said.
Keys’ co-host, Pegula, joined in the discussion by highlighting some of Tsonga’s achievements throughout his career, asserting that, contrary to Mouratoglou’s comments, she believes Tsonga was “pretty good.”
“Let’s run through his stats real quick since I have them. 2008 runner-up at the Australian Open, won the Paris Masters. 2011 semifinals at Wimbledon, runner-up of ATP finals. 2012 No. 5 in the world, semifinals of Wimbledon. 2013 quarterfinals of Roland Garros, 2014 wins Masters 1000 in Canada, 2015 quarterfinals at Roland Garros again. So, I think he was like pretty good,” Pegula added.
Tsonga turned professional in 2004 and won 18 singles titles on the ATP Tour, including two Masters 1000 titles during his career. In Grand Slam tournaments, he finished as the runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open and reached the semifinals at the French Open in 2013 and 2015, as well as Wimbledon in 2011 and 2012. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the US Open three times, in 2011, 2015, and 2016.
Tsonga achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 5, was part of the French team that won the 2014 Hopman Cup and the 2017 Fed Cup, secured a silver Olympic medal in doubles, among numerous other accomplishments. He retired from the sport in 2022.
