Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reveals why Andy Murray was a tougher opponent than the Big 3

Sam Cooper 19 Oct 2025 11:00 AM

In their 16 matches together, Tsonga only ever beat Murray twice.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has spoken of his difficulty facing Andy Murray and said playing the Scot was harder for him than facing any of Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.

The retired Frenchman faced Murray 16 times but only ever got the better of him on two occasions, once in 2008 at the Australian Open and again in 2014 in Canada.

That win percentage of record 12.5% is far lower than the 28.6% he facing Nadal, 33.3% against Federer and 26.1% he has against Djokovic which goes against the trend of others facing the Big Three.

As to why he struggled so much against Murray, Tsonga said that all of his strengths played right into the Scot’s.

“Well, that’s because my strengths would play right into his own strengths,” Tsonga told Univers Tennis. “So I was serving well but then he returned well. I liked to play by changing the rhythm but it wasn’t bothering him.

“If I hit a chip, he would just chip it back. So you know what I mean.”

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Tsonga praised Murray for his ability to “play the right shot” and said he was always able to “find spots that would shut me down.”

“He plays the right shot, generally speaking as a player, he sure did,” the retired pro said. “He was often able to block me, pretty fine tactician.

“When I got going and really turned on the power, even then, he was able to find spots that would shut me down. So naturally it’s him who bothered me a lot.”

Tsonga was no slouch though and back in 2022, John McEnroe said the Frenchman would have won a Grand Slam if the Big Three were not so “stingy.”

“The three other guys [Federer, Nadal, Djokovic], that was the issue for everyone,” McEnroe told Eurosport.

“Whether it was [Gael] Monfils, who was next to him at the ceremony after the match, you can go down the list of players who could and would have won Slams, but these three have been the greatest ever.

“They are incredible tennis players and they also psyche these guys out. They are three of the all-time great athletes and Jo was a little bit below that and that cost him against them.

“Sure he could have won one with a little bit of luck and so could Monfils and some other guys but those guys are very selfish and stingy!”