During a recent discussion, six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker expressed his opinion that American Tennis icon Pete Sampras possesses a serve that surpasses that of young French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Becker, renowned for sharing his gripping thoughts on social media, was drawn into this debate following Perricard's performance last season.
Although Perricard's record of 16 wins and 12 losses does not fully reflect his potential, the 21-year-old made headlines by winning two tour titles in Lyon and Basel, in addition to qualifying for the fourth round of Wimbledon as a lucky loser. His fearsome serve became a growing topic of discussion among his peers, especially as he reached a milestone in 2024.
The young Frenchman concluded the year with the best shot quality score for his serve. As reported by Tennis Data Innovations in collaboration with TennisViz, Perricard's serve scored an outstanding 9.5 in shot quality, comfortably surpassing Alexander Zverev, who came in second place with a score of 8.87.
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A fan page on X called “The Big Three” even dared to proclaim Perricard's serve as the best in tennis history, citing his mechanics and overall efficiency. However, Becker was quick to question this bold claim with a response full of irony.
“Are you really sure about this?!?” he joked, restarting the conversation. One follower reacted humorously by posting a GIF of Sampras winking, which Becker happily reposted, presenting it as a classic example.
-Sampras, often hailed as one of the best tennis players and servers of all time, was known for his powerful and precise serve that wore down his opponents over long matches. Nicknamed “Pistol Pete”, his precision and strength of serve remain a standard of excellence in tennis.
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Additionally, as the 2024 French Open approached, Rafael Nadal found himself facing Alexander Zverev in a tough first round draw. In previous media engagements, Becker had encouraged the Spaniard to take any possible defeats in this year's title quest lightly, referencing other legends who have never won the Open title. France, including Sampras himself.
Interviewed by CNN, Becker said: “Winning this tournament five times is already a huge accomplishment. To claim ten is almost impossible. Nadal has done it 14 times; no other athlete in any sport comes close to such a record .” By then, Nadal's form had dropped sharply, sparking discussions about his future in tennis, including possible retirement.
Becker added: “Borg won it six times, which was a monumental achievement, but legends like Sampras, Edberg and myself never lifted the trophy. So there's really no shame in not to win the French Open.” Ultimately, Nadal was matched against Zverev and exited the tournament in the first round with a 3-6, 6-7, 3-6 defeat. It marked a poignant end to his illustrious chapter in a tournament he had dominated for years.
