Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, the rising French tennis star, extended his remarkable indoor winning streak at the Rolex Paris Masters on Tuesday, overcoming a spirited challenge from Frances Tiafoe in a thrilling three-set battle.
The 6′ 8″ Frenchman, fresh off his triumph at the ATP 500 event in Basel, faced a stern test from the world No. 17 Tiafoe. Despite being pushed to the brink in the second set, Mpetshi Perricard displayed resilience and determination to secure a hard-fought 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory.
The match was a testament to Mpetshi Perricard’s growing stature in the tennis world. The 21-year-old has now compiled an impressive 5-1 record against Top 20 players this year, including victories over Felix Auger-Aliassime, Holger Rune, and Taylor Fritz. His only loss came against world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing.
Adding to his impressive record, Mpetshi Perricard has also embarked on an extraordinary serving streak. He has held his last 80 service games in a row, a remarkable feat that began in Antwerp two weeks ago. In Basel last week, he held all 60 of his service games en route to the title.
Against Tiafoe, Mpetshi Perricard faced only two break points and saved them both. His unwavering serve proved to be a decisive factor in the match, as he was able to dictate the pace and control the rallies.
“It means a lot to win in front of the French people. It’s unbelievable,” said Mpetshi Perricard after the match. “It was an amazing match for me. I did some good things—some bad things sometimes, but yeah it happens! The most important part is I have the win, and now I have to be focused for the next match. I hope to have the same crowd cheering for me.”
Up next for Mpetshi Perricard is a clash with No. 21-ranked Karen Khachanov. The Frenchman will be aiming to continue his winning streak and make a deep run in his home tournament.
