Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s campaign at the 2026 Open Occitanie came to an abrupt halt on Feb. 2 in Montpellier, where a freak on-court accident forced the Frenchman to retire mid-match after striking his own eye with a ricocheting tennis ball. The first-round match against compatriot Arthur Gea turned into a moment of concern inside the arena, as the 22-year-old was unable to continue after an unusual, painful sequence that stunned spectators.
A Closer Look at the Sequence That Brought Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s Montpellier Campaign to a Halt
The incident unfolded during the opening round of the ATP 250 indoor event, a tournament that traditionally offers French players a valuable opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd early in the season.
With Gea serving at 5-3, 30/0 in the opening set, he fired a passing shot that Mpetshi Perricard attempted to intercept at the net with a backhand volley. Instead of a clean contact, the ball caught the frame of his racquet and deflected sharply upward. In a split second, it struck Mpetshi Perricard directly in his left eye at close range.
The reaction was immediate as he dropped to his knees on the court, clutching his face as play stopped and medical staff rushed to his side. Television cameras later showed visible redness and swelling around the affected eye during a medical timeout.
After several minutes of treatment, Mpetshi Perricard made a brief attempt to continue, returning to the court to finish the set. He played only one more point before conceding the opener 6-3, then informed officials that he could not safely go on, officially retiring from the match.
The retirement also raised questions about his schedule for the remainder of the week in Montpellier, particularly in doubles, where he is entered alongside Stan Wawrinka. The pair is slated to face Hendrik Jebens and Ray Ho in the opening round of the doubles draw, though Mpetshi Perricard’s status will depend on how his eye responds in the days following the incident.
How Was Mpetshi Perricard’s 2026 Season Shaping Up Before the Montpellier Setback?
Mpetshi Perricard began the 2026 season with a strong run in the Australian swing, showing significant consistency on hard courts before his unfortunate injury in Montpellier. In singles, he accumulated a 4-4 win-loss record across three tournaments leading up to and including the Australian Open.
He opened his season at the Brisbane International in early January. In the first round, he secured a notable victory over World No. 22 Tommy Paul with a score of 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(6). He followed this with a second-round win against home favorite Rinky Hijikata, prevailing 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4). His run in Brisbane eventually ended in the quarterfinals, where he lost to Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-7(3), 6-4, 3-6.
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In doubles, his activity was more limited. The Frenchman partnered with Marcelo Demoliner, but the pair was eliminated in the second round by the fifth seeds, Manuel Guinard and Luke Johnson, with a score of 6-7(1), 6-2, 10-3.
Following Brisbane, Mpetshi Perricard moved to the ASB Classic in Auckland. He kicked off his campaign by defeating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 7-6(2) in the opening round and then edged out the fifth seed, Cameron Norrie, in a tight match ending 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4). He reached his second consecutive quarterfinal of the season but fell to the third seed Jakub Menšík 4-6, 2-6.
At the Australian Open, Mpetshi Perricard faced Sebastián Báez in the first round. In a grueling match that lasted over three hours, he ultimately lost in five sets with a score of 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6.