Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has had a tough past few months, after really bursting onto the ATP Tour in 2024.
Alas, since then, the Frenchman has struggled to add to his fearsome serve, and thus has suffered so many early exits despite boasting arguably one of the biggest weapons in tennis.
In an effort to solve that, the towering 22-year-old enlisted Francisco Roig to help develop his all-around game.
Alas, at the first opportunity, he jumped ship, with Roig now coaching Iga Swiatek.
Mpetshi Perricard, meanwhile, has opted for Greg Rusedski, who has now spoken on his appointment.
Greg Rusedski reveals how his partnership with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard came about
Chatting on his podcast, in comments gathered by Tennis365, the former British number one discussed how this partnership was forged and why they have decided to work together.
Rusedski first revealed: “I got a call whether it’d be interesting to work with Giovanni.
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“For some reason, they wanted another big server to work with another big server! And I decided I would give it a go.
“So I came out here to Monte Carlo and I’ve been here three or four days on court with the young man. It’s going well.”
He then divulged how long they have initially planned to work together, adding: “It’s an interesting project, so we’re having a trial at the moment, which goes all the way to the end of Wimbledon.
“If you have a project that interests you, you have got to give it a go and try it.
“I’ve always watched his game. I’ve always looked at him as a very talented player. I feel like there are a lot of areas we can work on and improve.
“And he’s such a nice guy. So, you know, you look at the personality and what you can improve. And for the first three days, it’s gone very, very well. And, you know, you’ve got to have a few weeks together to see if the relationship will build and you can get that momentum.”
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard reacts after Francisco Roig departs for Iga Swiatek
Unsurprisingly, after being so brutally tossed aside by Roig, Mpetshi Perricard was left frustrated.
And, he has not hidden his true feelings on this situation, even if he would likely admit that the opportunity to coach Swiatek is one of the best in the sport.
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Speaking earlier this week about the acrimonious split, Mpetshi Perricard revealed: “It was my agent who informed me. He didn’t inform me directly,” explained Mpetshi Perricard. “I thought I could trust his words. To throw all that away so quickly, it’s a shame.
“It’s a ruthless world. I’d never seen that before. It took me a good half-day to process it. Was it because of me? Actually, not at all.
“I had nothing to do with it, with videos that came out quickly (Roig with Swiatek). But I don’t think that project (with Swiatek) was put together in 24 hours.”
