Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, two prominent figures in French tennis, recently engaged in a candid conversation about their failure to claim a Grand Slam title. Both have come tantalizingly close to achieving this ultimate goal but have fallen just short.

Unraveling the Grand Slam Mysteries of Monfils and Tsonga

France's Tennis Greats and Their Grand Slam Journey

Monfils and Tsonga, along with Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet, were part of France's golden era of tennis in the Open Era. Tsonga and Simon have since retired, while Gasquet will bid farewell next year. Monfils, however, continues to thrive on the tour. Despite their initial promise, none of them could secure a Grand Slam victory.During a conversation on Monfils' new YouTube talk show, they took stock of their careers and addressed fan questions, including their lack of success at the Grand Slam level. Tsonga reached the runner-up stage at the 2008 Australian Open, while Monfils' best performance was a semifinal run at the 2008 French Open.They were extremely honest in assessing their Grand Slam performances. They recognized that while they had the ability to make deep runs, they weren't quite good enough to claim the title. Tsonga emphasized that it was a sincere answer and that they could analyze what could have been improved, but that's just how it played out.France has been without a singles Grand Slam champion since Marion Bartoli's victory at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. In men's tennis, the drought is even longer, with Yannick Noah being the last Frenchman to win a men's singles Grand Slam in 1983.

The Impact of the 'Big Four' Era on Their Chances

Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's chances of winning a Grand Slam were significantly affected by the dominance of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray during their prime. Between 2004 and 2022, the 'Big Four' won a staggering 65 Grand Slam titles, while Monfils and Tsonga were constantly battling against them.While the 'Big Four' seemed to steamroll their opponents with ease, three players managed to make their mark during this era. In his conversation with Tsonga, Monfils praised Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic, and Stan Wawrinka for their exceptional talent and resilience.Monfils stated, "I don't mind saying that these three were stronger than us. They won their Grand Slams with legends of the sport. Stan was in an exceptional state of grace when he won his Grand Slams. He played incredible tennis. Cilic, his tennis was incredible when he won (US Open 2014), he had that something. Del Potro, the same thing, and on top of that he was losing the US Open final before finally winning it."Juan Martin del Potro was the first to achieve Grand Slam success, defeating Federer in the 2009 US Open final. Marin Cilic's glory came in New York in 2014 when he defeated Kei Nishikori. Stan Wawrinka is the most successful among them, winning three majors - the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open, and 2016 US Open.