World number 204 Valentin Vacherot sensationally reaches the final of the Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai - and cannot be stopped. He is the first Monegasque to win an ATP title.
12.10.2025, 13:33
12.10.2025, 13:44
SDA
In the final, Vacherot came out on top in a family duel. In what were once again very challenging conditions with high heat and humidity, he defeated his French cousin Arthur Rinderknech (ATP 54) 4:6, 6:3, 6:3. The 26-year-old Monegasque, who will move up to 40th place in the world rankings, achieved his ninth victory in the Chinese metropolis in front of Roger Federer - including qualifying. In the semi-final, he had eliminated the record winner Novak Djokovic.
Vacherot is the lowest-ranked player to win a Masters 1000 tournament, the highest level of the men's tour after the Grand Slams. He was the first player from the Principality of Monaco to reach the quarter-finals of any ATP tournament.
The 30-year-old Rinderknech had also lost his only previous final three and a half years ago in Adelaide. The cousins have spent many vacations together since childhood, often training and eating together. "Our family's WhatsApp group is on fire right now. That's because everyone is sharing our little dream," Rinderknech reported before the final.
