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When it comes to dominating on serve, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard isn’t just knocking on the door—he’s kicking it down.
The Frenchman just lifted his first ATP 500 title in Basel, and he’s gone from 205th in the world at the start of the season to 31st in the ATP rankings.
Challenger titles in Nottingham, Cuernavaca, and Acapulco, followed by wins at the ATP 250 in Lyon and now the Swiss Indoors, make him one of only fifteen players to win more than one ATP title in 2024.
I first noticed Perricard on the Challenger Tour in 2021. Even though they don’t have speed guns (at many events, anyway), you could tell he was serving absolute bombs.
Since then, he’s refined his overall game, tapped into his athletic ability (pretty good for someone 6ft 8″) to move better, and developed more trust from the baseline.
However, his serve remains the cornerstone of his game and has played a starring role in his impressive 2024 season.
Perricard’s latest performance in Basel speaks for itself: 109 aces and 100% service games held during the week.
Averaging 140 mph on his first serve and a jaw-dropping 129 mph on his second during the final, Perricard plays with a level of intensity few players can match.
For context, his opponent in the Swiss Indoors final, Ben Shelton, another insane server, averages 120 mph on his first serve. Perricard’s second serve alone challenges the speed benchmark of elite players’ first serves.
One of the most striking aspects of his game is his willingness to hit what are essentially two first serves. With a second-serve win rate of 68.3% in Basel—an increase from his 53.4% seasonal average—he’s showing that he can mix power with tactical improvements when it counts.
Unlike most players who back off on their second serve to avoid double faults, Perricard leans into the risk. Yes, he is averaging 5.1 double faults each match this season, but when you hit 120mph, second serves? Who cares!
For most players, that stat would spell trouble, but for Perricard, it’s a calculated gamble that often pays off.
Savage Serving at the Swiss Indoors
Basel Tournament Stats
Shelton and Perricard’s numbers across their five matches in Basel, including the final:
| Metric | Ben Shelton | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 48 | 109 |
| 1st-Serve Percentage | 73.6% (273 of 371) | 64.8% (232 of 358) |
| 1st-Serve Points Won | 79.9% (218 of 273) | 83.2% (193 of 232) |
| 2nd-Serve Points Won | 80.0% (64 of 80) | 68.3% (86 of 126) |
| Service Games Won | 98.4% (60 of 61) | 100.0% (60 of 60) |
| Break Points Saved | 93.3% (14 of 15) | 100.0% (3 of 3) |
| 1st-Serve Return Points Won | 13.1% (26 of 198) | 22.7% (49 of 216) |
| 2nd-Serve Return Points Won | 41.7% (53 of 127) | 45.6% (57 of 125) |
| Return Games Won | 10.2% (6 of 59) | 10.5% (6 of 57) |
| Break Points Converted | 85.7% (6 of 7) | 31.6% (6 of 19) |
2024 Season Serve Comparison with Top Players
Perricard’s 2024 serve metrics stack up impressively against top servers like Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini. His first-serve points won, and ace production makes him one of the tour’s most effective servers this season:
| Player | % 1st Serve | % 1st Serve Points Won | % 2nd Serve Points Won | % Service Games Won | Avg. Aces/Match | Avg. Double Faults/Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | 65.5% | 79.0% | 53.4% | 88.7% | 18.6 | 5.1 |
| Alexander Zverev | 71.5% | 76.0% | 54.1% | 89.4% | 9.5 | 2.2 |
| Matteo Berrettini | 68.3% | 77.8% | 52.5% | 90.0% | 9.4 | 1.5 |
| Hubert Hurkacz | 63.0% | 78.0% | 54.4% | 88.9% | 13.8 | 1.8 |
| Jannik Sinner | 61.4% | 79.1% | 57.1% | 91.2% | 7.6 | 1.9 |
Can He Become an All-Time Great Server?
Comparing him to giants like John Isner and Ivo Karlovic is probably premature, but his numbers stack up, and at just 21, they reveal just how high his ceiling is.
For example, Isner’s career average of 18.7 aces per match closely mirrors Perricard’s current 18.6 in 2024.
Karlovic’s record-breaking first-serve points won rate of 82.7% is a target that Perricard has already surpassed in Basel with 83.2%.
Yes, just one match vs. an entire career is hardly a good comparison, and there are significant questions as to whether he can maintain those numbers across 10+ seasons like those seasoned veterans who spent years fine-tuning their serves. Still, Perricard is already pushing into their territory early in his career.
Comparing Perricards “First” Season with the All-Time Greats “First” Season
I looked at Perricard’s numbers this season and compared them with Isner, Karlovic, and Raonic’s first “full” season on tour, where they played 15+ matches. He is showing numbers that align closely with those of some of the best servers in their rookie years.
| Player | % 1st Serve | % 1st Serve Points Won | % 2st Serve Points Won | % Service Games Won | Avg. Aces/ Match | Avg. Double Faults/Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Isner | 66.80% | 75.10% | 56.30% | 89.20% | 14.5 | 2.5 |
| Ivo Karlovic | 62.00% | 82.20% | 51.80% | 90.40% | 21.1 | 5.4 |
| Milos Raonic | 64.10% | 78.90% | 52.90% | 88.20% | 13.6 | 2.2 |
| Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | 65.50% | 79.00% | 53.40% | 88.70% | 18.6 | 5.1 |
Comparing with All-Time Great Servers
How does Perricard’s serve stack up against legends like John Isner and Ivo Karlovic’s entire careers?
| Player | % 1st Serve | % 1st Serve Points Won | % 2nd Serve Points Won | % Service Games Won | Avg. Aces/Match | Avg. Double Faults/Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Isner | 69.0% | 78.8% | 56.0% | 91.8% | 18.7 | 2.3 |
| Ivo Karlovic | 65.5% | 82.7% | 53.3% | 92.0% | 19.8 | 3.5 |
| Milos Raonic | 62.8% | 81.5% | 55.0% | 91.1% | 15.5 | 3.3 |
| Reilly Opelka | 63.8% | 79.1% | 54.8% | 89.6% | 18.0 | 2.9 |
| Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | 65.5% | 79.0% | 53.4% | 88.7% | 18.6 | 5.1 |
Under Pressure Numbers
Perricard’s 2024 numbers “under pressure” vs the all-time leaders:
| Player | % Break Points Converted | % Break Points Saved | % Tie Breaks Won | % Deciding Sets Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | 44.1% | 65.5% | 66.0% | 72.8% |
| Pete Sampras | 40.6% | 67.9% | 64.1% | 69.3% |
| Rafael Nadal | 44.9% | 66.2% | 60.4% | 68.5% |
| Roger Federer | 41.1% | 67.3% | 65.3% | 65.2% |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 41.1% | 63.2% | 62.6% | 70.1% |
| Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | 40.0% | 69.9% | 56.5% | 71.4% |
- Break Points Converted (40.0%): GMP’s conversion rate is below most of the career leaders, aligning closely with players like Pete Sampras (40.6%) and Kei Nishikori (40.6%). Elite players like Nadal (44.9%) and Djokovic (44.1%) maintain higher rates as you’d expect.
- Break Points Saved (69.9%): GMP excels in break points saved, surpassing all others on this list. His ability to fend off break points reflects strong mental resilience and ability to land under pressure.
- Tie Breaks Won (56.5%): Perricard’s tie-break performance (56.5%) is lower than that of several other players, with Djokovic (66.0%) and Federer (65.3%) leading the way.
- Deciding Sets Won (71.4%): GMP’s performance in deciding sets is exceptional, placing him close to Djokovic (72.8%) and ahead of many others.
How Does Perricard Deliver Such Bombs?
Technically, his serve benefits from what’s been called a “one-two-three rhythm,” where he transitions his weight from back to front foot while creating a stable base and explosive follow-through.
His corkscrew-like action lets him keep his chest open and generate the rotational power that makes his serve so lethal.
Alongside all the fundamentals of a good serve, he also has a quick arm action, which not all players possess.
That gets him through the shot rapidly, with a low-ish ball toss where he makes contact at the apex to produce that💥
Intuitive Tennis, who has a great serve himself, does a great job at analysing players’ fundamentals and quirks and determining if you can replicate them. Check it out for an in-depth look at the GMP serve:
Final Thoughts
Tennis fans often give big servers a bad rep for being boring, but I’ve always enjoyed them.
Federer against Karlovic at Wimbledon or against Isner on hard courts was such a fun matchup, and as Fed used to say, it’s like a penalty shootout.
Perricard has the traits of the big servers of the 1990s, and he shows no interest in drawing out points. Instead, he uses his serve as both a sword and a shield, attacking while keeping opponents at bay, and I find that entertaining to watch.
With his 100% break points saved in Basel and 67.6% tie-break win rate for the season, we have a player who performs his best when the stakes are highest and offers something different in the sport.
Are you a GMP fan? Will the serve become even more important going forward? Let me know in the comments.