Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, revelation of the last tennis season in France, is also the son of a former footballer.
He started 2025 as he finished 2024: with a bang! Semi-finalist of the Brisbane tournament a few days before the next Australian Open, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is no longer unknown, quite the contrary. Considered a rising star of French and world tennis, the 2 meter colossus won his first ATP 500 title last year and could already play the leading roles in 2025
With his impressive physique, the French tennis player has certainly benefited from the genes of the family and in particular of his father, Ghislain Mpetshi, a former football player born in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although he did not play tennis, the latter had a successful football career as a defender and notably played for the Bourg-Péronnas club between 2002 and 2003.
So why did Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard get into tennis and not football? The reason is simple, his father did not want his son to imitate him. “He started tennis by accompanying me, from the age of 4, to AS Caluire. By mimicry, like all children. I didn’t particularly want to put him in football but rather to follow him in his desires”, explained his father in comments reported by Le Progrès.
A profitable choice since the Frenchman is already scary on the courts. He was also recognized by his peers with the ATP Awards prize in the “Best progression of the year” category. It must be said that Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard started the year 2024 in 205th place to finish in 31st… A progression of 174 places!
This progression is due in particular to its phenomenal service which already makes it one of the very best servers. In addition to serving at astronomical speeds (more than 230 km/h), the Frenchman serves on average 18.6 aces per match, the best statistic on the circuit. An almost unbeatable weapon that allows him to win 90% of his service games…
From now on, it will be necessary to prove that it is not just a simple server as he indicated at a press conference a few months ago, even if he intends to focus his development on this major asset. “Does the public want it? ? Yes and no. Yes because he sees services that go to 240 km/h and he says to himself ‘his shift goes faster than my car’. And on the other hand, no because there isn’t a lot of exchange. We don’t want to have everything. I would like to play like Jannik Sinner or like Carlos Alcaraz (…) But with my weight, my height, it’s difficult to move for long. It’s something I have to do because I’m different from everyone else.”