Jo Tsonga’s New Coach Is Promoting Him As A Top Fiver

Written by: Staff on 28th October 2012

Jo Tsonga’s New Coach Is Promoting Him As A Top Fiver

epa03440080 France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga clinches his fist in the semi final match against Cyprus' Marcos Baghdatis in the Stockholm Open tennis tournament in the Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm, Sweden, 20 October 2012. EPA/BERTIL ENEVAG ERICSON SWEDEN OUT |

It’s not even been a week since being hired, but new Australian coach Roger Rasheed is already blowing the horns on the possibilities of his newest client Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to crack the code which separates the top four on the ATP from the chasing pack.

The ambitious Aussie hinted that he disapproves of the culture of just finishing second best behind the elite which he senses in today’s game. And the former mentor of Lleyton Hewitt and Gael Monfils is determined to mastermind a lift in the fortunes of Tsonga, currently ranked seventh.

“The culture that I see at the moment on the tour, with players who are not that bad, is playing to finish second, behind the guys in the top four,” the 43-year-old told local media in Paris of the efforts to play catch-up with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

“I don’t like that mentality and Jo is not like that. He shows it clearly.”

Tsonga picked up Rasheed after 18 months on his own, but admitted recently that his motivation to do it all alone has been slipping. Their first event together is this week’s Paris Masters, with Tsonga still trying to qualify for the year-end event in London from Monday.

The 27-year-old’s biggest achievement was the 2008 Australian Open final against Djokovic. “Of course he can win a Grand Slam tournament,” said Rasheed. “A player has to believe in his capacity to do it. I’d be disappointed if he didn’t have that conviction.

“Jo is one of the few players who are exciting to train. He has decided that he has to do everything possible to make the most of his potential. He has to be congratulated on that.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Andy Murray, Atp, Gael Monfils, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Roger Rasheed