Injury heartbreak for tearful Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as he bows out at French Open for final time and Casper Ruud advances

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga signed off with a typically spirited display as his Roland-Garros retirement party ended with injury heartbreak in his first-round defeat to world No. 8 Casper Ruud.

The 37-year-old confirmed he would be hanging up his tennis shoes after the Grand Slam, but he was hoping to prolong retirement by upsetting the eighth seed.

With Gael Monfils and tournament director Amelie Mauresmo among those watching on, Tsonga was able to take the first set in a tie-break as a home crowd spurred the Frenchman on.

Ruud fought back to take the next two sets, but when Tsonga was serving to force a decider, his body – as it has done over the last few years – let him down.

Visibly struggling and holding his shoulder, Tsonga called a trainer just before the fourth-set tie-break, but though the Frenchman battled on he lost the fourth set to close 6-7(6) 7-6(4) 6-2 6-6.

Ruud goes on to face Emil Ruusuvuori, while Tsonga retires with 18 ATP titles, a Davis Cup victory with France in 2017 and an Olympic doubles silver medal from London 2012, having reached a career-high singles ranking of fifth.

More to follow.

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