Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has a bright future in professional tennis.
The Frenchman possesses quite possibly the fastest and most lethal serve on the ATP Tour, thus making him a dangerous opponent for any player, especially on grass.
The 21-year-old went toe-to-toe with Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon in a match that needed two days to be completed.
He was two points away from victory in the fourth set tiebreak. However, Fritz snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and completed a five-set win, and one pundit was unimpressed with one area of Perricard’s game.
One area of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s game has been slammed by a tennis pundit
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard burst onto the scene in 2024 with his two championship titles in Lyon and Basel.
He has struggled with results in 2025 and has made just one semi-final, which came in his first tournament of the year in Brisbane.
His fitness was in question after his withdrawal from the Eastbourne Open before Wimbledon, but there were no signs of any setbacks against Fritz, who Perricard was two points away from beating.
But following his five-set defeat, The Tennis Podcast analysed his game, and co-host Matt Roberts slammed Perricard’s return of serve.
When asked if Perricard is the worst returner in the sport, Roberts did not hold back. ”Well, potentially [worst returner] ever. It’s terrible,” he said.
“So, prior to this year, nobody had ever played a five-set match and not generated a break point. Mpetshi Perricard has done that twice this year. Once at the Australian Open and yesterday against Taylor Fritz.
“And look, I actually think he played the match he wanted to play. Like, his game is to serve well, to take it to opponents, to get it to tie breaks.
“And he was 5-2 up, double mini break in that fourth set. It’s hard to say he played this match in the wrong way. He played the match well, I think, Mpetshi Perricard.”
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard makes honest admission about his game after losing to Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon
Perricard has now lost in five sets in two of the first three Grand Slams this season.
In each of those matches, Perricard has failed to register a break point, something no other player has done.
He plays an aggressive game that leaves him more open to making mistakes, but the world number 36 explains why.
“I don’t know if you saw the match, but every time there is a rally and it’s over five shots, I’m not the best one,” Perricard said.
“I think it’s better for me to play under three or four shots. So that’s why I’m going full-out sometimes.”
