Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard named ATP’s Most Improved Player of the Year

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard claimed the ATP Award for Most Improved Player of the Year after an extraordinary rise from outside the top 200 at the start of the season to finishing with a year-end ranking of World No. 31. The Frenchman captured two titles this year, including his first ATP 500 victory.

At just 20 years old, Mpetshi Perricard clinched his maiden title at the Lyon Open, defeating Tomás Martín Etcheverry in the final after saving a match point. “It means a lot. A lot of dedication, a lot of hard training, a lot of questions about my game,” the Frenchman said after his victory. “But I’m very happy to win this one in Lyon especially, my hometown.”

His breakout moment came later in the season with an incredible run at the Vienna Open, where he defeated top players like Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Holger Rune, and Ben Shelton in the final, propelling him into the top 30 for the first time.

After the ATP’s announcement, Mpetshi Perricard shared a video expressing his gratitude: “I’m very happy to win the Most Improved Player award. It was a good year for me and my team. Now we are looking [forward to] 2025.”

The competition for the Most Improved Player award was fierce, with other nominees including Jack Draper, Tomas Machac, and Alejandro Tabilo. The nominees were selected by the International Tennis Writers’ Association (ITWA), while the winner was chosen directly by a vote among his peers on the shortlist.

At the start of 2024, Mpétshi Perricard had only five tour-level matches under his belt. He now ends the season with a 16-12 record and a remarkable jump of 175 ranking spots compared to the previous year.

Mpétshi Perricard’s first tournament of the 2025 season is scheduled to be the ASB Classic in Brisbane, featuring a star-studded draw including Novak Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Holger Rune, and the returning Nick Kyrgios.