The Monte Carlo Masters has taken another blow after the withdrawal of Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monaco has suffered from several high-profile withdrawals, including two-time winner Novak Djokovic.
British number one Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Monte Carlo Masters as well, along with American duo Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda.
Frenchman Arthur Fils added his name to the list by withdrawing, and he has now been joined by his compatriot Mpetshi Perricard due to injury.
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Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard withdraws from Monte Carlo Masters
Mpetshi Perricard was on site in Monaco, but a right wrist injury has unfortunately ruled him out of contention.
It is a big blow for the 22-year-old, who had been joined on site at the Monte Carlo Masters by his new coaching team.
In a major coaching change, he has decided to link up with former world number four Greg Rusedski and Philippe Dehaes.
Rusedski is a particularly fitting appointment for the big-serving Frenchman, having been one of the best servers during his ATP career.
He finished his playing career with 7,605 aces from his 677 matches, which places him 16th in the all-time list.
That is a list that Mpetshi Perricard is rapidly climbing, while the youngster is currently ranked as the fifth-best server in men’s tennis.
The appointment comes after a remarkable venture with Francisco Roig, who was briefly working with Mpetshi Perricard before joining forces with Iga Swiatek.
The Frenchman claims Roig, who previously worked with ATP legend Rafael Nadal, did not even tell him directly that their partnership was over, instead finding out through his agent.
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Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard can push on despite injury
Mpetshi Perricard’s wrist injury comes at an unfortunate stage, but there should be hope for a real uptick in form once he recovers.
He really burst onto the scene earlier in his career, claiming his only two titles in the 2024 season at Lyon and Basel.
The Frenchman rose to his career-high rank of 29th in early 2025, but has since dropped all the way down to 57th.
His disappointment has continued this season through a 5-9 win-loss record, which includes defeats in his opening matches at Indian Wells, the Miami Open and the Australian Open.
But Rusedski and Dehaes may just be exactly what he needs to fulfil his promise, with his serve having the potential to become one of the best in men’s tennis.
On the ATP Tour, he currently ranks third for % first serve and second for average aces per match.
However, to really challenge the elite he’ll need to improve in other key areas of the game, namely his return, for which he is currently ranked 80th.
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