Former Finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will return to the Aegon Championships after a two-year Hiatus.
The Frenchman has produced a series of impressive wins at the tournament throughout his career. In 2007 as a qualified he stunned defending champion Lleyton Hewitt to reach the third round. In 2011 he defeated Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, who was world No.1 at the time, to reach the final of the tournament.
Speaking about his decision to return to the tournament after skipping it last year, the world No.7 described the Queen’s Club as a special place for him.
“I’m really happy to be back,” said Tsonga. “It’s a special place for me because I entered the Top 100 for the first time at The Queen’s Club and reached the final of the Aegon Championships in 2011. The grass courts are perfect, we get to play in London in front of all these nice people, and I want to play good tennis there again.”
Tsonga is now the fourth top-10 player confirmed for the event after Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka. The championships are categorized as an ATP 500 tournament and has been an annual feature on the men’s calendar since 1977. The history of the tournament goes further back than the 1970’s. The first winner of the event was British player Harry S. Barlow in 1890.
Tournament director, Stephan Farrow, spoke of his delight concerning Tsonga’s decision to play in the tournament. Farrow described the Frenchman as a ‘crowd favorite’.
“Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a fantastic addition to what is becoming one of the strongest player-fields in the history of the Aegon Championships,” Farrow said in a statement.
“Over the years, when we have asked our ticket-holders who they have most enjoyed watching, Jo has been one of the players at the top of the list. We are delighted that he will return to The Queen’s Club in 2016.”
The tournament will get underway on June 13th, two weeks before the start of the Wimbledon Championships. Other players confirmed for the tournament include Nick Kyrgios and Milos Raonic.
Andy Murray will be the defending champion in the event and will be bidding to win the title for the fifth time in his career.
