Shanghai: Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot made history by defeating Arthur Rinderknech in the final of the Shanghai Masters 2025. This prestigious ATP tournament saw many betting on the legendary Novak Djokovic to secure the title, but Vacherot emerged as an unlikely champion after an impressive tournament run.
Starting as the world number 204, Vacherot’s victory marks him as the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion since 1990. He achieved notable victories against Laslo Djere, Alexander Bublik, Tomas Machac, and Tallon Griekspoor. He then overcame Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic en route to the final, where he faced his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech.
Vacherot clinched his maiden tour-level title with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, becoming the eighth first-time champion on tour in 2025. Following this triumph, he is set to rise 164 places in the world rankings.
After the match, an emotional Vacherot discussed his performance and the pressures he faced. He stated, “I feel when I am down, I have no choice and need to bring my A-game. In the first set, I didn’t do that, and he was playing better than me. I took my first chance to break in the second set, and from that, the crowd got more involved, and we put on more of a show in the second part of the match,” as reported by ATP.
Vacherot added, “I was just trying to beat the guy on the other side of the net, trying to set aside that it is my cousin, the guy I have been training with and growing up with. It was very tough, and he did a better job than me in the first set, coping with the pressure. But I just found a way to turn it around.”
