Giovanni Perricard is arguably the most talked-about tennis player in the world at the moment. The Frenchman’s rise has been steady and was evident when he won the first ATP 500 title of his career in Basel recently. It didn’t take too long for Andy Roddick to not only notice Perricard’s pyrotechnics but also comment on it with a huge statement.
On the ‘Served With Andy Roddick’ podcast, the 2003 US Open champion hinted at the fact that Perricard could be a trailblazer for the sport if he keeps up this kind of game. Roddick gave an example of how the legendary Jimmy Connors changed tennis forever by being the first to play with the Wilson T2000 racket, which had a wider circumference and, as a result, a sweet spot.
Connors made tennis look attractive with his flamboyant style of play but even backed it up with multiple Grand Slam wins. So Connors’ mention does come as a surprise.
The former World No.1 then proceeded to talk about Rafael Nadal’s impact in the early 2000s when it comes to ‘RPMs’, which refers to the topspin he generated, especially with his forehands. While it is true that Nadal indeed made the forehand a shot that others had to master to defeat him, talking about Perricard in the same breath was something never seen on the podcast earlier.
Roddick was full of praise for Perricard, expressing shock at his ability to average not only 145 mph on his first serve but a mind-boggling 129 mph on his second serve during his final match against Ben Shelton.
Roddick also pointed out the fact that even on that second serve, Perricard hit the 142 mph mark in the tiebreaker in an attempt to win it rather than play it safe. The American humbly admitted that he too, during his playing days, could not strike up such quick first serves so consistently as Perricard has already done.
This is a huge compliment from Roddick, considering that he was a master of the serve amongst all his competitors in the 2000s. Reacting to Perricard’s wild serves and ability to win so many points and games because of it, the tennis star-turned-broadcaster said,
“Jim Courier has talked about this at length. Is it statistically responsible to just hit two first serves based on when you make it, your win percentage… Does Perricard win 60% of his second serve points?”
“I think yes, I was kind of on the fence, I didn’t know. But this guy, going 145 first serve, 130 second serve, he was hitting second serves against Shelton in the second set breaker, trying to win a tournament. He went at 142! It’s a joke, it’s different!”
Our eyes are on 6’8” Mpetshi Perricard, who has a giant serve to match the frame
Is he the next player to change the game? pic.twitter.com/omhawjIdD0
— Served with Andy Roddick (@Served_Podcast) October 30, 2024
Perricard has taken the tennis world by storm, and it might take his opponents time to figure him out. In fact, Shelton, who himself is a big server, was stunned at the French youngster’s ability to fire in a 143-mph serve so accurately onto his body that he had to fend for himself and injured his fingers in the process.
At the Paris Masters 2024, Perricard broke the internet for an incredible performance during the first set of the second round clash against Karen Khachanov, despite eventually losing to him.
Perricard won the first set against Khachanov despite winning lesser points
Perricard managed to extend his streak of holding his serve in 86 consecutive games until Khachanov broke the ‘new fortress’ in the second set. The reason it went up to 86 is that the local hero won all his service games and most of his service points in the first set. So much so that although Perricard, on the flip side, won only 2 out of 37 return points, he still claimed the first set in a tiebreaker that ended at 14-12.
Have you ever seen this before?! @MpetshiG won the first set vs Khachanov despite winning 2 return points…#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/hmup57RfLv
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 30, 2024
Overall, in that first set, Khachanov won 44 points and lost 39 of them and yet lost it. However, in the Russian’s eyes, he was given justice as he got back his mojo in time to win the next two sets, 6-1, 6-4.
The defeat would make one wonder whether Roddick spoke too early about Perricard. He is no doubt an upcoming talent, but tennis is not just about having a great serve. Otherwise, many players would have won multiple Grand Slams outside of Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the last 20 years.
Perricard needs to work on his return game, ground shots and stamina if he has to make a case for himself in the rankings, let alone being half the player that Nadal or Connors were. The Frenchman will now have to prove that his win in the Swiss Indoors tournament was no fluke by any means.
