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BNP PARIBAS MASTERS

November 5, 2015

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Paris, France

T. BERDYCH/J. Tsonga
6‑3, 6‑4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. To what extent did your problem with the knee affect you today?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: It always bothers me a little bit, but it's been years and years that I haven't played without feeling anything. This is part of the game. All of us have something somewhere. Of course it's a handicap, but also, win some matches with that.
So today I didn't lose because of my knee. I mainly lost because I had a high‑quality opponent who played a very good match and had me totally controlled. I wasn't playing at the right level, and he played well from the start. It was difficult.

Q. When did you start feeling your knee? Was it in Vienna or here?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: Well, if I tell you it was 12 years ago, what are you going to say?

Q. When did it reappear?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: It never disappeared. It's just up and down. I don't know why. It's according to the surface maybe. I don't know.

Q. Berdych always was tough for you. What does he have that bothers you?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: Well, he's a complete player. He hits hard from both sides. His shots are very heavy. When you are not able to overrun him, then it becomes complicated. He is dictating the points and stepping forward into the court, and this is his strength. He's a very powerful player. Very often he stops me from playing my own game, which is a similar game to his.

Q. Do you know whether you will go to the Masters? You might be a substitute?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: If I'm a substitute, I will go, certainly, as the last substitute. That means we will have very few chances of playing, actually. But I will go there to celebrate with the others.

Q. You said something, the pain came during your match with Paire. Did you feel it during a precise point during this match?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: Well, since that match against Benoit, it's not great. I'm playing with that. It doesn't prevent me from playing well sometimes. It's ups and downs. Some days are good, others are not good. When it's not as good, I just try to hang in there and I just hope the opponent will not play too good in those days. If he plays good, then I'm not able to win.

Q. You are not doing the IPTL this year. Do you know what you will do during the break, end of the year? Are things going to change in your team?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: For the time being, we will stay as we are. That's all. During the offseason, I'm going to practice. I'm also going to undergo some examinations to understand what are my physical problems. I will work my physical condition, too. I will work on it. I will try to improve my game.
There are many things I can still improve, of course. I'll work hard.

Q. Are you injured?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: You came in late here, apparently.
Yes, it was difficult for me today. I had a very good opponent on the other side of the net, and I was not in my best shape. Against that type of player, you need to be at your best if you want to win.
I am almost totally on holidays right now, because I can't imagine I will have to play in London and that a player will step down.

Q. What tournaments before the Australian Open?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: Well, in the beginning of the year I'm supposed to go to Abu Dhabi and go directly after to Auckland before the Australian Open. I will prepare in New Zealand during a week before the Auckland tournament. That's it.

Q. You know that Normandy is really boiling because you are going to play the Caen tournament. What's your motivation? It's an exhibition? First time you do that?
JO‑WILFRED TSONGA: The motivation is to help my colleagues. As a tennis player, we are the top of the pyramid, and there are very few able to reach the top of the pyramid. Many stay below. But they nevertheless dedicated their whole life to tennis. They are passionate about the sport, and they are the ones who are really doing, making up the sport in France.
So it's good to support that type of tournaments and to promote them to make sure they can have quality players and to make sure we can train good players in France.
And also, I want to do this because of the association we created in 2009 with my family, my parents. It's called Catch The Ball. So with the association, I'm trying to give access to tennis to those who don't have enough money to do that in France and also in Congo.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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