World number 204 writes tennis fairytale "Two cousins are stronger than one alone" - Vacheron wins family duel
The Monegasque Valentin Vacherot wins the Shanghai final against his cousin and amazes the tennis world. The family's WhatsApp group is "on fire". The prize money is immense.
12.10.2025, 13:34
12.10.2025, 13:45
dpa
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- 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.
- 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 - including qualifying. He had eliminated the record winner Novak Djokovic in the semi-final.
Monegasque tennis outsider Valentin Vacherot crowned his fairytale run of success at the Masters in Shanghai with the title, winning the family duel with Arthur Rinderknech in the final. Vacherot beat his cousin from France 4:6, 6:3, 6:3 and celebrated by far the biggest success of his career in front of Roger Federer.
"Today there are two winners and one family that won. It's not real. I have no idea what's happening here. It's like a dream," said Vacherot immediately after his triumph.
Huge leap in the world rankings
Vacherot started the tournament as number 204 in the world rankings and fought his way through qualifying into the main draw. With a surprise win against record Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic, he became the lowest-ranked tennis pro in the world to reach a Masters 1000 final.
Now the 26-year-old is even in the top 50 and can look forward to prize money of just under one million euros. For comparison: before the tournament, Vacherot had won total prize money of around 500,000 euros in his career.
Family group on WhatsApp is "on fire"
The duel with Rinderknech, who had defeated Alexander Zverev on his way to the final, caused quite a stir. 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.
