Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has confirmed that he will play in two South American clay court events in February instead of playing at the ATP Open 13 tournament in his native France.
The World No.17 has won the French tournament twice in his career (2009 and 2013) and reached the final in 2014. Tsonga will play back to back tournaments in Argentina and Brazil in 2016, starting on February 8th. The Argentina Open is an ATP 250 event which has been a regular feature on the ATP Calendar since 2001. Speaking about his decision to play in Buenos Aires, the Frenchman spoke about his ‘special interest’ in the country.
“I have a special interest in returning to Argentina and I will do it in February to at the Argentina Open. I’ve heard great things about the event and the Argentine public. I know of the tradition and love of tennis in Argentina, so I hope to offer my best tennis” Tsonga said.
Tsonga has only played in Argentina once before which was in the 2013 Davis Cup quarterfinals, where he beat Juan Monaco and Carlos Berlocq. Joining the Frenchman at the tournament will be David Ferrer. The 33-year-old recently won his 25th ATP title in Malaysia. The Spaniard has an impressive record at the tournament, claiming the title three consecutive times between 2011-2014.
Following Argentina, Tsonga will play at the Rio Open. The tournament is expected to attract a strong field as Brazil prepares to his the Olympic Games next August. Speaking about playing in Rio, Tsonga praised the city.
“I am very excited to play the Rio Open and have the experience of being in Rio, one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world. I heard many good things about the tournament and I want to play in front of the Brazilian fans and already feel the city in Olympic year”. He said
It will be the first time that Tsonga has played in Brazil since his junior years. The last Brazilian tournament he played in was the 2001 Gerdau Tennis Cup when he was 15-years-old.
