Just a few more hours before the 2025 Wimbledon officially kicks off. While Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic are some of the clear favorites, Taylor Fritz is arguably the biggest American contender for the British Slam this year. His bid to win the world’s only grass-court Grand Slam got a stronger boost after he bagged his fourth Eastbourne title just a day ago. But still, at Wimbledon, Fritz will have to begin his journey by facing a towering, pun intended, French challenge.

On the opening day of the 2025 Wimbledon, Fritz will lock horns with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, the 6-foot-8 Frenchman. With a 27-28 win-loss career record, Perricard isn’t one athlete who should be discounted at first glance. Moreover, in his breakthrough 2024 season, the French star averaged 19 aces per match. That’s some strong stats right there! So, what makes Perricard a significant threat that stands in Fritz’s way of winning his first Grand Slam title?

Coming off a seminal season, to take the fight to Taylor Fritz

With a career-high ranking of 29, Perricard is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. However, while he is yet to make a considerable impact on grass courts, the French star’s fast-paced playing style can become a headache for his opponents. In 2025, currently, Giovanni is ranked at #36 in the world and has so far posted a 9-13 win-loss record, as per the official ATP Tour website.

In 2024, Fritz’s first-round opponent at Wimbledon won his first ATP titles in Lyon and Basel. Following his success, Perricard was named the Most Improved Player at the ATP Awards. And with that, the 216-pounder proved that his aggressive way of handling business has immense potential on the grass court. And he knows Wimbledon could be the perfect stage to show his worth to the world.

“My game is very fast — big serve, short rallies. On a surface like grass, it can really make a difference. It helps me control the points and put pressure on my opponents,” Perricard told ATPTour.com ahead of starting his 2025 Wimbledon campaign. Known for his second serves being almost as powerful as his firsts, Giovanni’s service game is often the biggest challenge his opponents have to face, and is one that awaits Taylor Fritz just a few hours later.

“It’s a real strategy,” said Perricard, who held 88.8% of his service games last year. And Fritz knows he’s got a lot of ground to cover if he aims to follow up on his Eastbourne success. “It’s a scary match, because some things are more out of your control than in other matches. It’s not easy when you play someone like him,” said the American of his first-round Wimbledon opponent.

However, Perricard’s 2025 form could be the one thing to give Taylor some hope.

The climb is steeper for Perricard than it is for Fritz

At the 2024 Wimbledon, Perricard reached the Round of 16, where he was eliminated by Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in four sets (4-6 6-3 6-3 6-2). Since then, things haven’t been all too bright for the Frenchman. Despite starting the 2025 Australian Open with a lot of hope, Perricard was eliminated from the tournament by national teammate Gael Monfils in the first round itself.

Following that result, Perricard didn’t have much to show for at the ATP Rotterdam, the Indian Wells Masters, the Miami Open, or at the French Open in May. You’d believe this looks like the perfect set-up for Taylor Fritz to come up with an answer for Andi Roddick’s doubts on the former’s Wimbledon dreams. But will he be able to pull that off, or will the Grand Slam-winning tennis celebrity have his predictions correct?

Moreover, with Fritz drawing parallels with the iconic Pete Sampras after his Eastbourne triumph, it’s entirely understandable that the 27-year-old is feeling it in his veins that this year’s Wimbledon could be where his career finally takes off. But will that confidence pay off? Or will Perricard’s intimidating stature prove to big a hurdle for Taylor to jump over? We’ll have to wait just a wee little more to see!