Valentin Vacherot completed a stunning run at the Shanghai Masters, defeating his cousin Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to win his first tour-level title. The Monegasque, ranked World No. 204, became the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in history since 1990.
“It is unreal what just happened. I can’t believe it,” Vacherot said. “I am very happy with my performance these past two weeks. Today there are two winners: my family and the sport of tennis. The story is incredible.”
The final took place in front of a packed Stadium Court, far from their college days at Texas A&M University in 2018, where they once played side by side. Over the years, their careers have followed very different paths. Rinderknech came into the tournament with a career-high ranking of No. 42 and had only reached an ATP 250 final before. He had never progressed past the third round at a Masters 1000 event.
Vacherot’s journey, by contrast, was extraordinary. The 26-year-old entered Shanghai with just one tour-level win from earlier this year in Monte-Carlo. After qualifying, he defeated Laslo Djere, Alexander Bublik, Tomas Machac, and Tallon Griekspoor to become the first player from Monaco to reach a Masters 1000 quarter-final. He then stunned Holger Rune and four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic to reach the final.
In the title match, Vacherot rallied from a set down for the sixth time in the tournament, including qualifying, to secure victory. He became the first Monegasque player to win a tour-level title in the Open Era. He is only the third qualifier to win a Masters 1000 crown, joining Roberto Carretero in 1996 and Albert Portas in 2001.
“I feel when I am down, I have to bring my A-game,” Vacherot said. “In the first set, he was better than me. In the second set, I broke him and the crowd got more involved. That helped me turn things around.”
Vacherot is the eighth first-time champion on tour this season and only the fifth man in ATP Masters 1000 history to win his maiden tour-level title at this level. The victory moves him up 164 spots to World No. 40 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. He will break into the Top 100 and Top 50 for the first time on Monday and earned $1,124,380 in prize money, more than doubling his career earnings prior to this fortnight.
“I was just trying to beat the guy on the other side of the net,” Vacherot said of facing his cousin. “It was tough, but I found a way to turn it around.”
Throughout the tournament, the cousins supported each other from the sidelines, cheering and sending encouraging messages. Rinderknech’s run included wins over Top 20 players Alexander Zverev, Jiri Lehecka, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Daniil Medvedev.
Rinderknech started the final strong, hitting 12 winners and just two unforced errors, taking the first set with an early break. Vacherot responded in the second set, keeping his cousin behind the baseline and dictating play. From 3-3, he broke Rinderknech in consecutive games, gaining control in the third set. He won 92% of his first-serve points in the decider and made only one unforced error to claim the title after two hours and 11 minutes.
Rinderknech will rise 26 places to World No. 28, marking a career high. He also recorded his 100th tour-level win in the semi-finals and became the ninth French Masters 1000 finalist in history.
Vacherot’s triumph is a remarkable story of determination, resilience, and family pride. From a qualifier with just one tour-level win to a Masters 1000 champion, he has rewritten the record books and achieved a milestone few could have imagined.
