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Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard’s biggest serves at Wimbledon this season are no secret to tennis fans! However, very few know that he is not the only tennis talent in his family. Echoing the 20-year-old French player’s passion for the sport is his little sister, Daphne, who wants to have her own game established in tennis. She might be only 15 years old, but at this tender age, Daphne has the experience of participating in a Grand Slam too!

Debuting at Wimbledon, Giovanni’s aces have already made history in tennis. But on the other hand, there is a rising star, following in his footsteps to have her own thread in the game! The WTA player showed promise in the sport as a kid, kick-starting her love for the game on the ITF circuit. At nearly 12 years old, Perricard made waves in the tennis world, playing two matches on the hard courts and winning one of them. However, it was in 2022 that her graph of success started to move upward.

While on hard courts, she encountered 11 wins and 3 losses; she did not have the same success on clay. This is because out of the 14 matches that she tried to show her prowess on, she could not go past winning 9 of them. Nevertheless, it was only the beginning! Soon, Giovanni’s sister found her rhythm on clay last year. Not only that, Daphne earned the opportunity to play in one of the grandest clay court tournaments, the Junior French Open. She was only 14 years old, but her skills on clay were a force to be reckoned with! 

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Although she could not go past the qualifying rounds, it marked a huge milestone in her brief career so far. Thus began Daphne’s journey to reach new heights in tennis. She went on to achieve 22 match wins on clay, losing only 12 by the end of 2023. Interestingly, the teen did not play much on hard courts. However, whenever she did, Daphne made sure to win, extending her winning rate on the surface to 67%. But that’s not it. When 2024 hit, the former 95 ITF-ranked player took an oath to concentrate only on clay and refine her skills further. 

As a result, the current 118th-ranked ITF-ranked player has made sure to win 18 matches on clay! However, the season is hardly over; therefore, it is safe to say that she has yet to show more prowess! Therefore, one thing is clear, though she currently ranks at 1261 in the WTA ranking, we are all waiting to see her performance in the WTA tour soon! While she has yet to show her power once again in the Grand Slam, on the other hand, her brother is fulfilling his dreams in the “tennis paradise.”

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Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard vocalizes his Wimbledon experience this season

“For me Wimbledon is the home of tennis, a tennis paradise,” Giovanni says. What is more special for a player than to earn his first Grand Slam in the home of tennis? For Perricard, this is a “special place to be,” and with his winning streak so far, the 20-year-old who entered as a qualifier is on a mission to make his dreams come true. However, in front of him is another of his opponents, Emil Ruusuvuori, whom he will meet in the third round at SW19. 

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With the aim of improving his game, Perricard wants to continue his success on the grass. “After my serve, when I go to the net I put a lot of pressure on the opponent. Sometimes I can do better, but I have to improve on this part of the game, but I am [developing].” As both the siblings show their exceptional talent, the tennis world waits to see these rising stars conquer their dreams in the sport.

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Is Daphne Mpetshi Perricard the next big thing in women's tennis? What do you think?

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