Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot, ranked 204th, stunned Novak Djokovic, while his cousin Arthur Rinderknech overcame Daniil Medvedev to set up a rare family showdown at the Shanghai Masters final.
In an extraordinary turn of events at the Shanghai Masters, cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech secured their places in the final by toppling former champions Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, respectively.
Vacherot, ranked 204th globally, made history as the lowest-ranked player ever to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final after a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over Djokovic, who appeared hampered throughout the match.
Later that day, Rinderknech, ranked 54th, battled back from a set down to defeat Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, completing an unprecedented family feat in the tournament.
“Facing my cousin in the final feels surreal-none of us ever imagined this happening,” Rinderknech reflected. “It’s like a dream that suddenly became reality.”
Vacherot’s tactical use of drop shots and relentless baseline rallies unsettled Djokovic, who struggled with mobility and took medical timeouts during both sets.
“Playing against Djokovic was an incredible experience-something I’ll never forget,” said Vacherot, who is the first Monegasque player to reach an ATP final in the Open Era.
Although Djokovic broke Vacherot’s serve in the opening game, the 26-year-old quickly retaliated, breaking back and gaining a 4-3 lead before Djokovic called for his first medical timeout.
Vacherot then closed out the first set by winning the next two games decisively. The second set featured a grueling 12-minute opening game, which Djokovic narrowly won after saving two break points.
A crucial double fault from Djokovic handed Vacherot a 5-4 lead, tipping the momentum firmly in his favor.
“It was a pleasure to play you-please don’t retire,” Vacherot told Djokovic during their handshake at the net.
Djokovic, a four-time Shanghai Masters champion, praised Vacherot’s performance and attitude, acknowledging the qualifier’s remarkable run.
“Coming through qualifying and making it this far is extraordinary. I told him at the net that his attitude and game were outstanding,” Djokovic said. “He deserved the win today, and I wish him the best in the final.”
‘Determined to Give It My All’
Arthur Rinderknech, ranked 54th, showed resilience after dropping the first set to Medvedev, a former US Open champion. He secured an early break and held firm through a tense 12-minute game where he saved five break points, propelling him to a 3-0 lead in the second set.
Medvedev struggled to handle Rinderknech’s aggressive returns, frequently hitting the net from the baseline, allowing the Frenchman to dominate the second set 6-2, with Vacherot cheering from the stands.
In the final set, Rinderknech clinched a decisive break. Although Medvedev saved the first match point with a powerful 207 km/h serve down the middle, a double fault handed Rinderknech the victory.
“I thought, maybe I’ll lose, but I’m going to fight with everything I have,” Rinderknech said. “I wanted to wear him down and give Valentin a physical edge for tomorrow’s final.”
“Then I managed to get the break, followed by another to close out the match. At that point, I decided to give it my absolute best, and somehow it paid off.”
