Nick Kyrgios’ singles comeback in Brisbane will launch against a supersized young Frenchman who just won the ATP Tour’s most improved player.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is 21 years old, 203 centimetres tall – or six-foot-eight – climbed more than 170 ranking spots to No.31 this year, and averaged almost six aces per match more than any of his peers.
Nick Kyrgios will play Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Brisbane International.Credit: Getty
Everyone from John Isner to Andy Roddick is having their say on the player becoming known as tennis’ answer to burgeoning NBA superstar and fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama.
Kyrgios had already booked a hitting session before the draw was released with American giant Reilly Opelka, another of the tour’s top servers, to test his surgically repaired wrist, which has sidelined him for the past 18 months.
And Australia’s 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, who turns 30 in April, was grateful for his choice once he knew he was locking horns with Mpetshi Perricard, who he believes boasts “arguably the biggest serve on tour”.
“I would love to be able to go out there and play the way I played in 2022 and compete for grand slams,” Kyrgios said.
“I still believe I can, whether or not that’s factual or not. There was another player [Nicolas Mahut] who was like, ‘You have to be realistic’ [but] that’s not how I am. I always back my ability and go out there believing I can win. I still feel I can produce a level that’s pretty high.
“I think especially against Perricard; I could play like Roger [Federer] and still lose. I could play the [best] match of my life and still lose. That’s the type of player he is. He takes the racquet out of your hand.”
Mpetshi Perricard cannot wait to take on Kyrgios.
He won his maiden ATP title in Basel in October, averaging almost 210km/h on his second serves, so his match against Kyrgios is unlikely to involve many gruelling baseline rallies.
Nick Kyrgios during a practice session ahead of this summer’s Brisbane International.Credit: Getty Images
Kyrgios animatedly burst in midway through Mpetshi Perricard’s interview with this masthead, and the players had a brief but warm exchange ahead of their on-court battle on Tuesday.
“I said, ‘Yeah, good match against a good player’ [when I saw I was playing Kyrgios],” Mpetschi Perricard said.
“I mean, even if he wasn’t on the tour for like two years; he’s still one of the greatest servers in tennis history. The guy’s won against good players, against the ‘Big Three’ [Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal], so I was excited to play this kind of player. It’s always a new challenge, so let’s see.”
The first peep at Kyrgios in match action will come in doubles on Monday night alongside Djokovic.
The blockbuster pairing is sure to draw more eyeballs than usual for a first-round doubles clash in late December, judging by American top-tenner Emma Navarro’s mouth-agape reaction at the draw ceremony when she discovered they were playing together.
Kyrgios and Djokovic raised the topic of potentially playing doubles together while hitting during Wimbledon this year, but it was only in the past few weeks that they locked in their union.
“He kept messaging me over and over again. I was just like, ‘I’ll give him a little handout and the pleasure of playing doubles with me’,” Kyrgios joked.
“But, no, it’s going to be a lot of fun. The kid from Canberra getting to play with the greatest of all time in his home [country] in front of the fans is pretty special. It’s something that I’m able to tell people when it’s all said and done that I played doubles with him.”
Djokovic bumped into Kyrgios in the gym at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Saturday, and the banter has begun.
“He came into the gym, and started saying, ‘Idemo, Nole’ (let’s go) in my language. He’s like, ‘I can’t wait to say that after a good point on the court’,” Djokovic said.
“Nick is quite a character. We have had an interesting history of relationship with him and I, from not that great at all, to getting along really well now, so it should be fun for us on the court – but also for everyone watching.”
Kyrgios’ friend and fellow player Jordan Thompson is fascinated to see what the former world No.13 does in Brisbane, but is most hopeful this comeback will last.
“As long as his wrist and body hold up, he’s going to be dangerous,” Thompson said.
“He’s a freak. He’s got unlimited talent. He’s got that serve, and he’s just so hard to play against. I’m hoping he stays fit, and we see him back on tour, getting inside the top 20, top 10.
“Honestly, I think he’s just lucky to be out there with the wrist injury he had. I guess him being on the court is a bonus in itself.”
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