Former world No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov offered his analysis of the recent Shanghai Masters tournament. The final featured an unexpected matchup between cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech, with Vacherot ultimately claiming victory with a score of 4/6, 6/3, 6/3.
“It was likely the most unpredictable final one could have imagined,” Kafelnikov remarked. “Certainly, it wasn`t what the spectators anticipated. Without a doubt, everyone was hoping for a Djokovic-Medvedev showdown, but that`s the beauty of tennis – what you expect doesn`t always come to pass. So, I`m absolutely thrilled for both brothers. For one, this title is genuinely crucial, as I believe the ranking boost will enable him to enter tournaments directly into the main draw, bypassing qualifiers, which is a significant advantage. The other, Rinderknech, also likely derived immense benefit from this tournament. So, credit to them both; we can truly be happy for their achievements.”
Novak Djokovic`s Future Prospects
Kafelnikov, who also holds the position of vice-president of the Russian Tennis Federation, went on to assess the future prospects of Novak Djokovic, who was defeated by Vacherot in the semifinals (3/6, 4/6).
“The most important thing is what I`ve read online, where Djokovic himself states that he`s currently playing not to prove anything to anyone again, but simply for the spectators,” Kafelnikov observed. “He wants to play for the audience he`s cultivated over the years, to avoid disappointing them and to give them more opportunities to watch him compete. This, of course, is invaluable. However, I reiterate that his resources are undoubtedly diminishing. And, certainly, it`s unlikely we`ll see the Novak Djokovic we`ve witnessed at his peak form throughout all these years.”
When questioned about whether Djokovic might be less than truthful about not chasing titles, Kafelnikov speculated:
“Is he being disingenuous by saying he`s not playing for titles? Subconsciously, he probably considers that either Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz could theoretically catch up to his Grand Slam title record. And he might want to make one last `100-meter sprint` to secure another title, further cementing that number.”
Kafelnikov concluded by highlighting what he believes is Djokovic`s primary motivation:
“But I believe that, in any case, his love for the sport and his fans is currently the primary driving force for him to continue playing and participating in tournaments. And I sincerely hope he stays healthy enough to maintain that level. Because we don`t want to see a Novak who loses to players not on his status level.”
Marcus Prine 
Jasper Carew