Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, the last hope for the one-handed backhand: “I feel like Wawrinka”

LONDON – When Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard hits his one-handed backhand down the line, he feels like one of the iconic tennis players of the time: “I feel like Wawrinka”.

There is no player in the world’s top 650 as young as he with a one-handed backhand in his repertoire. The 20-year-old Frenchman is the last hope of nostalgic lovers of a threatened stroke.

“I used to play with both hands, but at the age of nine I changed,” he said CLAY during the Wimbledon qualifiers. At Roehampton he lost in the last round, but the last-minute withdrawal of Alejandro Davidovich and his good ranking opened the doors to the All England Club.

“The one-handed backhand will be missed in tennis if it ever dies out, although I don’t think that will happen because the legacy of Roger Federer’s backhand will continue to inspire. And Wawrinka or Richard Gasquet too. I would like to see more tennis players with this stroke because it is so beautiful. It is vintage tennis.”

The Lyon ATP 250 champion knows the pros and cons of being that weirdo of modern tennis. “It’s an advantage because it allows me to hit some shots that don’t require my left hand, although it’s also true that the speed at which it’s played on tour makes it very difficult to master. If it doesn’t work for me, I prefer to use the slice and I’d like to hit with two hands, so I don’t think I’m Stan!”, said the 58th player in the ATP rankings CLAY.

From Lucky Loser to Surprise, 203cm tall Mpetshi Perricard defeated Sebastian Korda in the first round with 51 aces and added 27 more by beating Nishioka in the next match. He will face Finn Emil Ruusuvuori in Saturday’s third round at Wimbledon.

A different style in a sport that is homogenizing.