Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard Denies Consultation With Francisco Roig Before Iga Swiatek Switch

Iga Swiatek fired Wim Fissette from her camp last month.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard Denies Consultation With Francisco Roig Before Iga Swiatek Switch

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (inset) Iga Swiatek and Francisco Roig (via tennis.com)

In Short
  • Giovani Mpetshi Perricard was unaware of Francisco Roig's switch to Iga Świątek, learning about it through his agent.
  • Mpetshi Perricard expressed disappointment over Roig's sudden departure, feeling it undermined their planned collaboration.
  • Iga Świątek aims to enhance her game with Roig's coaching expertise as she prepares for the clay season.

Veteran coach Francisco Roig has officially packed his bags, leaving French rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the rearview mirror to join forces with World No. 4 Iga Swiatek. It is the kind of abrupt, mid-season maneuver that leaves locker rooms buzzing and fans endlessly refreshing their feeds.

However, Mpetshi Perricard has disclosed the fact that he was unaware of the situation regarding this coaching switch. The Frenchman said that he was informed via his agent, as Roig never had any contact with him. Mpetshi Perricard said in his press conference:

With Francisco, it was supposed to last at least until the grass-court season. But after Miami, he decided to stop. Things had gone really well, though. We were supposed to meet up for a week of preparation in Spain. My agent informed me. He didn’t inform me directly. I thought I had trust in his words, trust in what he could bring me. To waste all that so quickly, I think it’s a shame. After all, it’s a tough, ruthless world. I had never seen that. It was very surprising, and I was disappointed. But it will shape me. I prefer to take the positive from these things rather than the negative. I’ll become stronger even in life.

Reports indicate that Mpetshi Perricard and his camp were absolutely stunned by Roig’s sudden departure in early April. In the tennis ecosystem, jumping ship right as the player starts catching fire is the coaching equivalent of breaking up via text message.

Mpetshi Perricard was relying on Roig’s veteran presence to navigate his newfound status on the tour. Now, the young Frenchman has to scramble to rebuild his team while trying not to lose the serious momentum he built over the hardcourt swing.

Why Francisco Roig jumped ship to Iga Swiatek

When a former World No. 1 comes knocking, the person should answer the door. Francisco Roig is not just any coach.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via X/iga archive)

He spent years sitting in Rafael Nadal’s player box, acting as a tactical mastermind behind multiple Grand Slam titles. He knows what it takes to win on the biggest stages, particularly when the crushed red brick of Roland Garros is involved.

For Iga Swiatek, bringing Roig on board is a terrifying flex. She is already the undisputed queen of the WTA Tour, but she is notoriously obsessed with getting even better. While she has had massive success with her primary coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, adding a mind like Roig’s signals a clear intent to add even more tactical wrinkles to her game.

Swiatek wants to build a dynasty, and Roig’s resume practically screams “championship pedigree.” When an opportunity to coach a generational talent like that opens up, it is hard to fault a guy for taking the gig.

Iga Swiatek’s master plan

For Iga Swiatek, the timing is impeccable. The transition was confirmed right as she hit her training block ahead of the clay season.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via X/United Cup)

Roig is a Spanish coach who spent decades plotting clay-court destruction alongside Nadal. Pairing his strategic mind with Swiatek’s heavy topspin and elite movement on the dirt almost feels unfair to the rest of the women’s locker room.

As the tour shifts to Europe, all eyes will be on the World No. 4 to see if Roig’s influence translates to a resurgence of the Polish star. Swiatek hopes to regain her Roland Garros crown, which she has won four times.

As for Mpetshi Perricard, the tennis world is rooting for a rapid recovery. If he can channel the frustration of this sudden breakup into his game, fans might just see him blasting aces past the best in the world very soon.

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