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Ball Girl Thanks Tsonga for Being a Gentleman

After tennis ace Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stopped play to help an ill ball girl, he received a heartfelt thank you letter…

When no. 12 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga noticed that one of the ball girls at last year’s Australian Open was apparently in distress, he didn’t hesitate to stop the match he was currently in and go to her rescue. Now the 31-year-old Frenchman has shared a sweet letter he received from the girl in question, thanking him for his chivalry.


"Dear Mr Jo-Wilfried Tsonga," the letter reads.

"I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you for helping me out on court during your round 2 match. I'm not sure if you remember me but I was the ball girl you escorted off court.

"I would also like to take the opportunity to apologise for the times when you asked for the ball but I did not service it to you or acknowledge you.

"I had picked up a virus which I was unaware of and it caused me to become dizzy and lightheaded. This also affected my vision and hearing.

"I apologise for not being able to perform my duties as a ball kid to the high standards that are expected.

"Thank you so much for the kindness that you showed me. I really appreciate that you were able to see that I needed some help and were kind enough to escort me off court."


Tsonga is currently gearing up to face 2014 champ Stan Wawrinka in this year’s tournament, but has widely cemented his reputation as one of the nicest men in the sport.

If you are eagerly following Tsonga’s exploits at the Australian Open, grab a subscription to Tennis USA today.

Instagram image from @tsonga_forever / @tsongaofficial

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