Pure Magic in Shanghai! Qualifier Valentin Vacherot Makes History with Dream Masters Title

Shanghai, China – The 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters just wrapped up, and what we witnessed was easily one of the most astonishing, heartwarming stories the sport has ever seen. The title went to qualifier Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, who staged an incredible comeback in a three-set final against his own cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, with the scoreline reading 4–6, 6–3, 6–3.

Vacherot didn’t just win his first-ever ATP Tour title; he smashed the record books into pieces.

The final match was pure poetry. It was the emotional culmination of a tournament dominated by the two former Texas A&M college teammates, who became the first pair of cousins to battle for an ATP Masters 1000 trophy in the Open Era. As Vacherot himself put it after the win: “I think there are two winners today – one family that won – I think that for the sport of tennis the story is just unreal”.

The Most Impossible Run Ever? Yes!

Vacherot’s journey started in the qualifying rounds—he wasn’t even initially guaranteed a spot—but he finished by rewriting the history of the ATP Tour with these incredible feats:

• The Lowest-Ranked Champion, Period: Ranked at a jaw-dropping World No. 204 when the tournament began, Vacherot is now the lowest-ranked champion of any ATP Masters 1000 event since the series began in 1990. He even surpassed the record for the lowest-ranked finalist, a stat he had set himself.
• A Monaco Milestone: He is the first player representing Monaco to ever win an ATP Tour singles title in the Open Era.
• The Rare Qualifier King: Vacherot became just the third qualifier in Masters 1000 history to lift the trophy, joining Roberto Carretero (Hamburg 1996) and Albert Portas (Hamburg 2001).
• Maiden Title on the Biggest Stage: The Shanghai Masters was Vacherot’s first-ever tour-level singles title, making him only the fifth player in Masters 1000 history to snag his very first championship at this elite level.
• Seeded Slayer: His path to glory was brutal, featuring victories over five seeded opponents in a row. The highlight? A stunning straight-sets victory over the legend and four-time Shanghai champion, Novak Djokovic, in the semifinal.

How the Final Played Out: Resilience Wins

The final against his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, was a proper test of mental toughness.

Rinderknech, riding his own wave of confidence, snagged the first set 6-4 after coming out “on fire”. But Vacherot, the king of the comeback, rallied from a set down for the sixth time across his matches in Shanghai (including qualifying). He changed tactics in the second set, successfully pushing Rinderknech back to dominate the rallies. Vacherot broke Rinderknech twice late in that set to level the score and carried that momentum through the decider, eventually securing the victory after two hours and 11 minutes.

Life-Changing Payday and Ranking Leap

The win instantly propelled Vacherot from an ATP Challenger tour player to a genuine world-class talent.

• Prize Money: He collected a champion’s check for US $1,124,380, a massive increase considering his total career earnings before the tournament were around $594,077.
• Ranking: After earning 1000 ranking points, Vacherot surged an incredible 164 spots to finish the week at a career-high World No. 40.

It was an emotional final that cemented one of the most extraordinary stories in the history of the sport, proving that in tennis, the “impossible dream” can sometimes be the best reality.