Tsonga relieved, excited before final French Open

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is determined to enjoy every moment of the final tournament of his career at the French Open, with the Frenchman saying he was relieved and excited to bow out at his home Grand Slam and on his own terms.

Tsonga, 37, has struggled with injuries in recent years and has not won a match since beating compatriot Gilles Simon, who will also be retiring after Roland Garros, at the ATP 250 event in Marseille in February.

The win was only the third since 2019 for the former world number five, who missed almost the entire 2020 season with a back injury and posted a 1-8 record last year. Last month, he announced his decision to retire after the French Open.

"I feel relieved, because it's the last tournament, because both my mind and my body have told me that it's time to stop. I'm also very excited, because I have always wanted and liked to play this tournament," Tsonga told reporters on Friday.

"It has always been a highlight of my career... I have not achieved the best result throughout these years, but the French Open was special," he added. "When I arrived here, I always felt a lot of self-confidence.

"I wanted to make sure that I could enjoy every moment of the last tournament, to be aware that it would be the last tournament. I didn't want my body to be the decision-making factor... I'm sure this tournament will be full of emotions."

Tsonga, who reached the semifinals in Paris in 2013 and 2015, will begin his campaign against Norway's world number eight Casper Ruud.

The Frenchman has won 18 ATP titles and finished runner-up at the Australian Open in 2008 as an unseeded player, losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets.

"I wish him the best possible farewell to tennis that he can imagine... I'm sure it's going to be very emotional for him," Djokovic said. "I know Jo very well from the junior days. We always got along very well. I have tons of respect for him.

"When he was at his best, he was constantly in the top 10," the world number one added. "He has been one of the most charismatic, energetic tennis players out there... He can be very proud of everything he has achieved."