Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has struggled for most of the season, but that matters little now. The European indoor swing feels like a fresh start for him, a stretch of tournaments perfectly suited to his explosive game where he has the potential to contend for titles every week. He has already shown how dangerous he can be in these conditions, reaching the quarterfinals in Antwerp in 2023 and winning the Basel title last year.
This year’s European indoor swing has already sparked a turnaround for the young Frenchman. He began with an impressive run to the semifinals in Brussels last week, which was only his third semifinal appearance of the 2025 season. That result also helped lift his season win–loss record back to an even 23–23, rescuing it from negative territory.
While he possesses dangerous ability on indoor hard courts, he still has plenty to prove in these conditions. His current record of 27–29 indoors is disappointing for a player with such a massive serve. Last week’s performance in Brussels was actually his first indoor event of the year, giving him a much-needed platform to rebuild confidence and results.
Joao Fonseca made his European indoor swing debut in Brussels last week, but it was a rough start as he squandered leads in both sets and lost 5-7, 6-7 to Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening round. He now heads to Basel, where he will be aiming to earn his first-ever main-draw win at an indoor ATP event.
The Brazilian’s best performance on indoor hard courts came at the Next Gen Finals last December, where he was the surprise package of the event and captured the title without losing a match. That breakthrough proved to be the turning point of his career, giving him the momentum and confidence that carried into the 2025 season. He built on it superbly to rise into the top 50, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young players on tour.
Head-to-head: 0–0. Joao Fonseca has enjoyed the better overall season between the two, and there is no questioning his ability to win this matchup. However, on the fast indoor courts of Basel, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard will be an extremely tough opponent for anyone to stop, including Fonseca. If the Frenchman finds his rhythm on serve, there is little his opponents can do other than hope for a few errors in the tiebreaks.
