Tsonga Withdraws From US Open

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 16th August 2013

Tsonga Withdraws From US Open

epa03761192 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France retires due to a knee injury during his second round match against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 26 June 2013. EPA/TOM HEVEZI |

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the eighth ranked Frenchman who reached the semi-finals of this year’s French Open but became one of several casualties of the slick grassy conditions of Wimbledon’s first week, has been forced to concede defeat in his battle to be fit to contest the US Open.

The 28 year-old whose best effort at the US Open was a quarterfinal finish two years ago, has not played since aggravating an existing injury to the tendons of his right knee in the second round of Wimbledon against Ernests Gulbis.

Tsonga, who was forced to retire from that match after protracted on-court treatment, said: “Today I have to take care of me and make sure I can play 100%. The thinking is simple. The doctors told me that it would be at least two months for my tendon to partially heal and five months to be completely healed.

“Two months takes me to the US Open. It would be stupid to go there knowing full well that I have no chance because I’m not prepared enough.

“I know exactly what I have, I know exactly how long it will take. Whenever I hurt myself, I often come back again even stronger.”

Tsonga is now aiming to return to ATP action at the Moselle Open in Metz, starting September 16. “I still have one month,” he said. “It will come soon, but I am optimistic.”

His Australian coach Roger Rasheed said: “The knee injury is not 100% recovered at this point and with zero competition and no legitimate base work there is no way possible of putting an elite athlete like Jo out to compete over five sets at this stage.

“The number one thing is to make sure Jo’s knee and body is 100% ready for the work load of training and competition, once that is the case then we will resume the 2013 season. We hope that this will be in the near future and our team will look at this only in a positive way and make the most of what is in front of us, which is the last portion of the tour plus the end of year ATP World Tour Finals which we will be pushing towards.”

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