ATP Indian Wells: Mpetshi Perricard knocked out early but opens new chapter with Roig

An early exit in the California desert

Indian Wells was not kind to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Like last year, his run ended at the first hurdle in the California Masters 1000.

Facing Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak, world No. 57, the Lyon giant flashed quality and chaos in equal measure before losing a three-set scrap: 6-3, 1-6, 7-5.

The match started badly. He was broken in his opening service game, handing Majchrzak the initiative and a first set he controlled from start to finish.

He hit back quickly. More aggressive, cleaner, he turned the match on its head in the second and mauled his opponent 6-1.

The match was back on.

A third set that punished him when it mattered

The decider turned into a tug-of-war. They traded blows until Mpetshi Perricard looked to have the edge after breaking for 4-3.

A turning point — but it lasted minutes.

Majchrzak hit back straight away, feeding off a few loose moments from the Frenchman. At 5-4, Mpetshi Perricard even had to save a match point to stay in it.

Pressure, though, does its work.

At 6-5, on Majchrzak’s last service game, Perricard cracked. Two double faults wrecked his serve, then an overhit forehand sealed the deal.

Final score: 6-3, 1-6, 7-5.

Majchrzak 🇵🇱 63 16 75 Mpetshi Perricard 🇫🇷 (R. Maia 🇧🇷) #BNPParibasOpen pic.twitter.com/szfoOb1Q6z

— ATP Tennis Stats; Snooker Stats (@ATP_Entry) March 5, 2026

Another early exit for the Frenchman — his fifth first-round loss this season.

Majchrzak, meanwhile, now faces a much stiffer test: Novak Djokovic next up.

A new coach to help him take the next step

Beyond the defeat, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is in the middle of a big transition.

He’s just started working with Spanish coach Francisco Roig, a former Nadal coach and a respected name on tour.

It comes with a new way of working.

“He’s very strict on technique, on footwork, on movement, on how you move around the court,” the Frenchman says.

Accustomed to the French Tennis Federation setup, Perricard is discovering a different, much tougher, detail-obsessed approach.

“It’s a different approach. I was used to the Federation — this is Spanish-style.”

Potential still very much a work in progress

For the 20-year-old, the new partnership feels a bit like going back to school.

Every motion gets picked apart, every step corrected, even when the shot looks fine.

“When a shot isn’t right, or even if the shot is good but my feet aren’t, he’ll tell me,” he says.

It’s demanding, yes. But he welcomes it.

Behind the current rough edges he sees room to grow.

“He’s figured out how I play and what I can improve. Movement needs work. That’s good — it means I’ve got huge room to improve.”

For now, Indian Wells is over.

But for Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, the real project might only be getting started.

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