Tennis star banked £750k to play exhibition match while injured - 'I couldn't say no'

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has revealed he once put his injury woes aside to participate in an exhibition match for a staggering $1million (£750k) payout. Despite never clinching a Grand Slam title, with his closest attempt being at the 2008 Australian Open final where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic, the Frenchman had a successful career spanning from 2004 to 2022.

Tsonga amassed a whopping £16.7million in tournament winnings over his 18-year stint as a pro, not to mention the lucrative offers he received for exhibition matches. Speaking on , Tsonga shared details about one particular exhibition match that offered him a jaw-dropping sum to participate. However, accepting the offer wasn't without its complications.

At the time, around the 2014 Davis Cup, Tsonga was nursing an arm injury so severe that he couldn't even hold a glass to drink. Despite this, when the enticing offer came through, the former ATP world No. 5 found himself in a dilemma.

He knew he would face backlash for choosing to play in a high-paying exhibition match instead of representing his country in the prestigious Davis Cup, but he also understood that turning down such a lucrative opportunity would be a decision he might regret. He explained: "There are some financial offers that you can't reject.

"I think particularly of a time when I was in the Davis Cup against the Swiss, my arm hurt, I couldn't play, and everyone knew it. I played [the first match] and at one point, I couldn't even hold a glass to drink. I couldn't play anymore.

"And after that, I received an offer to go play an exhibition with sets of four games, and five matches over a week. And since it's an exhibition, whether I win or not, it doesn't change anything. Except that at the Davis Cup, I said I wasn't playing, and they took me out of the team because I was in pain.

"But then, I got this offer, and it was for $1million. One week. And I thought I'd get slammed because it's the week after the Davis Cup, but I told myself that I had to make a choice. Do I go for the money that will allow me to invest even more in my career and in myself, or do I not do it because there are people who won't be happy with the press surely coming down on me? And at that moment, I chose to go for the 'Million Dollar Baby.'"

Having never clinched a major championship throughout his illustrious career, Tsonga still boasts an impressive record, securing 18 ATP Tour titles alongside victories at both the Hopman Cup and Davis Cup. He also won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics alongside Michael Llodra in doubles.