From Serena Williams‘ father, King Richard, to Roger Federer’s coach, Peter Carter (who coached him during his formative years), one of the greatest weapons of a player is often the unsung hero of the tennis courts—coaches! For the rising tennis star, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, his three coaches hold a special place in his heart! As the French player continues to spark the sporting world with his amazing prowess, the behind-the-scenes story of his career deserves a deep dive!

While Giovanni’s dominant serving and potential to rewrite Wimbledon history have captivated tennis fans globally, the 20-year-old insists he’s not solely responsible for this success. A self-proclaimed Rafael Nadal admirer, Giovanni credits his development to the invaluable guidance of three coaches throughout his professional career. The first of these mentors is Cyril Genevois, a seasoned coach with over 25 years of experience shaping tennis players.

As a significant member of the ITF Development programs, Genevois is inspiring thousands of young players to fulfill their dreams in tennis. After all, the “Tennis Professor” has a PhD in Sport Sciences (in France). Therefore, Genevois, who is also an international speaker, knows how to inspire players, especially Perricard, who wishes to reach new heights in tennis, using his favorite shot, forehand. Nevertheless, apart from him, Perricard also has his main coach, Emmanuel Planque, a French coach who has been guiding players since 1990! 

In his three-decade-long career, he has been a huge support to various players like Corentin Moutet, Lucas Pouille, Michael Llodra, and many others. Last but not least, there is a third pillar that Giovanni is thankful to have: Jean Baptiste Dupuy. The 43-year-old coach from France has also helped Perricard find his form on the tennis court.

And working together, they are guiding Perricard to make waves in the tennis world. Earlier, Planque also shared his thoughts on how he intends to make Giovanni win over his disadvantages and take every opportunity to show his incredible prowess when he plays his best tennis.

Planque reveals his strategy on how he intends to improve Perricard’s game

Although Giovanni, standing tall at 6 feet 8 inches, has one of the most exceptional service games, he knows that it “is not everything.” It has some disadvantages, too. He admitted, “The balls are a little heavier, the surfaces a little slower, there are some long returns, and then you still have to have a strong enough base to make the difference.” And his coach, Planque, is well aware of it too. Therefore, he makes sure to guide him accordingly.

“I’ve made it a point of honor for Giovanni to have great technique. I wanted him to be technically reliable and not be hampered by the limitations of his height (…) I didn’t want him to have any big gaps. He has to be able to start early, arrive on time and put a lot of pace into his first shots, whatever the ball.”

A believer in adapting the new styles of modern tennis, Planque makes sure Perricard is as mobile on-court as he can be. And keeping all the points in mind, Giovanni wants to surpass his third-round opponent at Wimbledon, Emil Ruusuvuori. While he does that, the tennis world will not only witness his amazing game but will also remember the hard work that his coaches put in to make Perricard perform his best!