In a remarkable upset at the Shanghai Masters, world No. 204, Valentin Vacherot, has secured his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 title. The final saw him defeat his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, in a gripping three-set battle with a score of 4/6, 6/3, 6/3.
An Unprecedented Journey to Glory
This victory marks the 26-year-old Monégasque`s inaugural career title, a monumental achievement considering his previous record. Prior to this tournament, Vacherot had primarily competed on the Challenger circuit, where he had collected four titles. His main tour experience was limited to just six events, with only a single match win to his name. Before his exceptional run in Shanghai, he had managed only two victories against opponents ranked within the Top 100. His astonishing performance in this tournament has dramatically transformed these statistics, boosting his overall balance against Top 100 players to 9 wins and 5 losses, and an impressive 7 wins against 3 losses when facing Top 50 competitors.
From Alternate to Champion
Vacherot`s path through the Shanghai Masters was extraordinary from the outset. He initially entered the qualifying draw only as an alternate. Displaying immense tenacity and fighting spirit, he consistently overcame adversity, notably losing the first set in six of his nine matches throughout the tournament before orchestrating impressive comebacks to claim victory.
Joining an Elite Circle of Masters 1000 Champions
With this historic win, Vacherot earns a place in an exclusive group of tennis players. He is now the fifth player in the history of the sport to win their debut ATP title at an ATP Masters 1000 event. This esteemed list includes:
- Roberto Carretero (Hamburg, 1996)
- Chris Woodruff (Montreal, 1997)
- Albert Portas (Hamburg, 2001)
- Jakub Mensik (Miami, 2025)
Furthermore, Vacherot has become only the third qualifier ever to lift a Masters 1000 trophy, a feat previously accomplished by Carretero and Portas.
A Staggering Ranking Leap: Following his Shanghai triumph, Valentin Vacherot, who had never before climbed higher than the 110th position in the ATP rankings, is set to make a massive leap to become the world No. 40 next week.
Marcus Prine