Tsonga Separates From Coach Rasheed

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 4th September 2013

Tsonga Separates From Coach Rasheed

epa03758063 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France returns to David Goffin of Belgium during their first round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 24 June 2013. EPA/KERIM OKTEN |

World no.8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the highest profile male absentee, after Federer, from the US Open, has ended his relationship with Australian coach Roger Rasheed less than a year after the pair started working together.

Tsonga, back in Europe where he is still recovering from the knee injury that forced him to drop out of his second-round match at Wimbledon and miss the entire North American summer, maintained the reasons for the split were ‘the language barrier and the difficulties linked to our geographic locations are restraining our collaboration.’

Adelaide-based Rasheed previously worked with another Frenchman Gael Monfils and was appointed by Tsonga last October but made no real attempt to learn the language and expected both players to converse in English.

Rasheed, who coached compatriot Lleyton Hewitt for three years, maintains he understands Tsonga’s point of view and said: “I really enjoyed my time with Jo and helped create a high performance platform for his support. I wish him the best and look forward to my next challenge.”

Tsonga hopes to be ready for the Moselle Open next month and a statement issued to the French press said he is assessing ‘several options’ before deciding on a replacement for Rasheed.

When the pair began to work together, Tsonga had been without a coach since parting the ways with long-time mentor Eric Winogradsky in April 2011. After an initial period of feeling free from the constrictions of having somebody with him all the time, he admitted a realization that he needed somebody to push him into training harder. .”I was starting to run out of steam a little,” said Tsonga. “Now I will have the support of someone who can pass on his knowledge and some of his motivation.”

Topics: 10sballs, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Roger Federer, Roger Rasheed, Sports, Tennis, US Open