If Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's victory in the Thailand Open in Bangkok this week is anything to go by, a sport starved of enough recognisable names for too long is on the cusp of an exciting new era.

Tsonga, the charismatic, ebullient Frenchman who came from nowhere to reach the Australian Open final in January, earned his first career title with a convincing victory over world number three Novak Djokovic.

The 23-year-old's success will have been welcomed as much by the sport's promoters as by those who have felt moved by the player's constant battles to keep career-threatening injuries at bay.

In Tsonga, as well as other fast-rising youngsters like Ernests Gulbis and Kei Nishikori, the game has a clutch of exciting young talents who promise to give the men's game better strength in depth than it has had for years.

And, perhaps even more crucially, to give the public the sort of enigmatic and easily recognisable figures the sport needs to thrive beyond traditional boundaries.

Tsonga brings a swashbuckling, front-footed approach to the game that first won him admirers in Melbourne, when, as the world number 38, he hammered Rafael Nadal in straight sets to reach his first Grand Slam final.

Tsonga's story was all the more remarkable given his injuries which had almost prevented him taking his position as a former top-class world junior into the senior ranks at all.

After turning professional in 2004 Tsonga suffered a herniated disc and was told by doctors he might never play again. His occasional comebacks would bring fleeting glimpses of his promise, only for injuries to rule him out again.

In his first two years as a professional, Tsonga was only able to play eight tournaments, ravaged as he was by shoulder, back and abdominal injuries.

"Sometimes I thought it was too tough and I couldn't do it," he said.

Tsonga made more of a breakthrough in 2007, beating defending champion Lleyton Hewitt at Queen's and reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon, where his attacking style earned rave reviews.

But even after his mighty success in Australia it was a familiar story for Tsonga, who needed three months out for knee surgery and only returned at the US Open earlier this month.

Tsonga, described as a "fresh breeze" by one of his heroes, the former French Open champion Yannick Noah, and a "great player" by the vanquished Djokovic, now hopes his success in Bangkok will cement his place in the top 20.

"Of course it's been difficult but that's life," Tsonga shrugged.

"But it's a good sensation because it was tough to come back. I've had a lot to deal with and it's just good to be back out playing again."