The final Masters event of the season kicks off in Paris on Monday with young French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard headlining the Day 1 fixture against Grigor Dimitrov. Alexander Bublik and Alexei Popyrin will also be in action.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs. Grigor Dimitrov
The last time Grigor Dimitrov played tennis was in July and he had Jannik Sinner in the fourth round at Wimbledon. And by “on the ropes” I mean he was up two sets and serving when he tore a pectoral muscle and staggered off the court in tears. He missed the rest of the season…until this week.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has struggled with consistency in 2025. His results have fluctuated wildly from excellent (he made three semi-finals this season) to… not excellent (he has a losing record and crashed 12 times in his first match). His performance after the US Open was an improvement, but Dimitrov is a difficult first opponent.
With Mpetshi Perricard playing at home and Dimitrov struggling with rust, I’ll give a nod to the Frenchman – with a footnote that if Dimitrov were to win on Monday it wouldn’t count as a disappointment.
Cheryl pick: Mpetshi Perricard in 3
Ricky pick: Mpetshi Perricard in 2
Alexander Bublik vs. Alexei Popyrin
This match has the potential to be the best on Monday in Paris. Alexander Bublik is playing the best tennis of his career, and it’s not even close. He has won four titles this season, one of which he won in Hangzhou a few weeks ago. He is ranked 16th in the world, which is especially notable because he was ranked 82nd in March.
Alexei Popyrin hasn’t had the same stellar season as his opponent, but what he does have is three wins over the Kazakh since 2018. Bublik’s only win over Popyrin came early on the clay courts of Madrid this season. There is no indication that Popyrin is in the form needed to dispatch Bublik, but he clearly knows how to push him. I think this one could go a long way.
Cheryl pick: Bublik in 3
Ricky choice: Bublik in 2
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