Holger Rune vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard: Where to Watch, Toronto Preview

Will a recent training session with Andre Agassi help the No. 5 seed get his first win over the big-serving Frenchman?

BySteve Tignor

Published Jul 28, 2025

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Estimated start time: 12:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, July 29

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Holger Rune vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard: Match Preview

Rune spent some time working with Andre Agassi earlier this month, and it sounds like they covered a fair amount of ground in a short amount of time. But who was the teacher and who was the student?

“He gives very good advice on how to return,” Rune told Ziggo Sport. “He was an incredible returner, as I am too, so we can share information and that’s great.”

Hopefully Rune believes his return can get even more incredible than it already is, because he’s going to need to make at least a couple tough ones in this match. Mpetshi Perricard is a 6-foot-8 ace machine who has one of the least-returnable deliveries in the game. Rune likely understands that well, having lost their only previous meeting, on indoor hard courts last fall in Basel.

Perhaps fortunately for Rune, that Mpetshi Perricard isn’t quite like the one he’ll face on Tuesday. Last year, the 21-year-old Frenchman looked like a future Top 10 player as he rose into the Top 30. But after seven months of 2025, he’s just 10-15, and is down to No. 43.

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That said, the 22-year-old Rune isn’t quite as imposing as he was a couple of years ago, either. He’s still ranked ninth, and he has a win over Carlos Alcaraz in a final this year. But he’s just 22-14 overall, and had to withdraw from the DC Open with back pain. This event, without Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic, represents an opportunity for Rune, who has moved up to the No. 5 seeding.

It sounds like Agassi had some other ideas for how Rune could make more of his obvious talent.

“What he tried to explain to me is that he wanted my tennis to be a bit slower,” Rune said. “And he thinks I can do things much easier with my power and quality in my shots.”

If Rune can make that happen, it should be enough to get him a win on Tuesday. Winner: Rune