Tsonga on the impact of social networking: "Someone with a phone can tell your personal life story. It's pretty terrible".
Visiting the YouTube channel of his compatriot and friend, Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried agreed to take part in the talk-show.
In what appears to be the first episode of a series launched by Monfils on his YouTube channel, the two men discussed a wide range of subjects.
Discussing the impact of social networks on the life of a professional athlete, the two men struck a balance between enthusiasm and concern.
Tsonga declared: "I really love the fact that you can create your own media. I really like that. In fact, we're all entitled to a private life. What I like is that you have the right to give what you want to give and you have the right to keep what you want to keep.
But the problem is that the deviance of this thing is that you can do that, but the people around you, they can put you in your networks. Tomorrow, in your personal life, there's someone with a phone who can tell your personal life story. And I think that's pretty terrible.
But you have a positive side. You have a right of reply, you can say what you want. I used to get really frustrated when the media made you out to be so-and-so... They could shape your image without you having anything to say. Today, thanks to the networks, you have the right to express yourself and say what you think.
In a similar vein, Monfils told him: "I like it because you have your community, your fans. Really, people who want to know who you really are, well, it's a lot easier to give them content.
To be able to let them into your little secret garden. Yes, it exposes you. You're exposed all the time, because either you show too much, or you don't show enough. There are people who want to see more, and people who want to see less.
The slightly negative side is something we're talking about more and more in our sport, unfortunately. It's the punters. People who can more easily get close to you and insult you gratuitously. Racism..."
