A modern fairy tale: Tennis player’s life changed after winning the 2025 Shanghai Masters

Valentin Vacherot’s fairy tale in Shanghai ended in the most delightful manner.

Valentin Vacherot, ranked 204th in the world, officially claimed the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters 2025 title after a 2-1 victory (4-6; 6-3; 6-3) over his cousin Arthur Rinderknech this afternoon on October 12, Vietnam time.

A match between two players with powerful serves and forehands thanks to their impressive height, featuring few break points, where even a small moment could shift the momentum of a set and the match. In the first set, Rinderknech secured the only break point in the third game, then held serve firmly to maintain the advantage, winning 6-4 to take a 1-0 lead.

In the second set, both players continued to battle closely until a turning point came in Rinderknech’s pivotal game. Vacherot seized the chance to earn his second break and took a 5-3 lead, then comfortably closed the set 6-3, pushing the Shanghai Masters final into a decisive third set.

At this stage, Rinderknech faced physical issues and could no longer maintain his earlier form. The French player lost a break point in the opening game of the third set and faced the threat of losing seven breaks in the next two service games but managed to defend successfully. However, it was inevitable: Vacherot capitalized on his cousin’s fatigue to break in the ninth game with his second championship point, thereby becoming the new Shanghai Masters champion.

This is Valentin Vacherot’s first ATP Tour title, transforming his career with over 1 million USD in prize money—nearly double what he had earned throughout his career before participating in this year’s Shanghai tournament. He became the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in history (ranked 204). From rank 204, the Monegasque player is expected to rise to world number 40.

Initially at risk of missing the qualifiers due to his low ranking, Vacherot’s continuation in China was secured by Luca Nardi’s withdrawal. He displayed excellent form in both the qualifiers and main draw, defeating top players like Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, and Novak Djokovic to create the most remarkable tennis fairy tale of 2025.

Valentin Vacherot also defeated Vietnam’s Ly Hoang Nam in the final of the 2022 Bangkok Open.

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Two cousins write a fairy tale at the 2025 Shanghai Masters The final of the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters 2025 will feature a showdown between two cousins, who created a huge surprise: Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot. See more