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Former world No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has revealed he once pushed through a serious injury to cash in on a $1 million (£750k) exhibition match, despite barely being able to lift a glass.
The French star, who retired in 2022, shared the confession in a recent interview on Kevin Ferreira’s YouTube channel, lifting the lid on one of the most controversial weeks of his career.
Tsonga, who reached the 2008 Australian Open final and racked up £16.7 million in prize money over 18 years, said the offer came at a complicated time, just after he withdrew from the 2014 Davis Cup due to injury.
"I think particularly of a time when I was in the Davis Cup against the Swiss — my arm hurt, I couldn’t play, and everyone knew it," Tsonga said.
"I played [the first match], and at one point I couldn’t even hold a glass to drink. I couldn’t play anymore.". Yet just days later, Tsonga received a high-stakes offer: $1 million for an exhibition week — five matches with short sets, low stakes, and big money.
"And after that," he continued, "I received an offer to go play an exhibition with sets of four games, and five matches over a week. Since it’s an exhibition, whether I win or not, it doesn’t change anything.".
His Davis Cup team had already removed him from the lineup due to his injury, but now Tsonga faced a dilemma: take the money and face media backlash, or sit it out to protect his public image.
"I thought I’d get slammed because it’s the week after the Davis Cup,” Tsonga admitted. "But I told myself that I had to make a choice: Do I go for the money that will allow me to invest even more in my career and in myself, or do I not do it because there are people who won’t be happy — with the press surely coming down on me?".
Ultimately, he made a decision that still raises eyebrows to this day. "At that moment,” Tsonga said, “I chose to go for the ‘Million Dollar Baby.’".
Though Tsonga never claimed a Grand Slam title, his trophy cabinet remains respectable. He won 18 ATP Tour titles, a Davis Cup title in 2017, the Hopman Cup in 2014, and took home an Olympic Games silver medal in 2012 alongside Michael Llodra in doubles.
Known for his powerful serve, explosive forehand, and charismatic on-court presence, Tsonga remains one of the most beloved figures in modern French tennis and will be seen at the Legends Team Cup later this year.
Whether his £750k decision was right or wrong, one thing’s clear: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga knew when to take his shot.
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