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Cousins Rinderknech & Vacherot living 'undreamable dream': Who will win Shanghai final?

Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot are family, first and foremost. The cousins just happen to share a sport they have played together “thousands of times”, from when they were juniors to teammates in college at Texas A&M University, and plenty since then. But never did they imagine what they will do together on a tennis court Sunday.

One day after they each upset a former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings — Vacherot stunned 100-time tour-level titlist Novak Djokovic and Rinderknech rallied past Daniil Medvedev — they will meet for an ATP Masters 1000 title in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

“[It is] the dream undreamable. Is that okay? It was undreamable,” Rinderknech said. “Even in the biggest dream we couldn’t have dreamt about this, so it’s a dream that couldn’t even exist at the beginning.

“I don’t even know where it comes from, how it happened. I guess we must have done some good things to the people around us to deserve to experience something like this, because it’s incredible.”

Rinderknech and Vacherot have followed similar, but different paths to this point. The Frenchman, Rinderknech, is just more than three years older than his cousin, Vacherot of Monaco. But they spent two seasons together in college before later beginning their professional journeys.

Watch Shanghai SF Extended Highlights

Rinderknech reached No. 42 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2022, the same year he made his only previous ATP Tour final in Adelaide. The 30-year-old, up to No. 28 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, has proven a consistent threat against even the world’s best players behind his aggressive, big-serving game.

In the first round of Wimbledon this year, the Gassin-born righty stunned Alexander Zverev, before upsetting the German again in Shanghai. He arrived at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event with 20 tour-level match victories this season and is now the ninth French player to reach a Masters 1000 final.

On the other hand, Vacherot held just one career ATP Tour win — which came earlier this year — entering the tournament, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. In the second round of qualifying, he was down a set against Liam Draxl and they were level at 5/5 in the second-set tie-break.

The Canadian was two points from knocking out the Monagesque before his storybook event truly began. Vacherot has not looked back since battling through that encounter and became the first player representing Monaco to make an ATP Tour singles quarter-final, semi-final and final.

His coach and half-brother, Benjamin Balleret, reached a career-high World No. 204 and perhaps it is fitting that Vacherot is making his mark in Shanghai as the World No. 204. ‘Val’ is now No. 58 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings thanks to his dream run and can climb to No. 40 by lifting the trophy.

“It’s an achievement. I would say it’s a fairytale,” Balleret said. “He makes history for him, for Monaco. He’s the first player from Monaco in the Top 100 already, of course, being in the semi-finals, in the final.

“Actually, I have no words. I don’t know what to say about it… It’s not even unexpected. It’s kind of impossible. And he’s doing it. Val is just unbelievable this week.”

When Vacherot returned to his locker Saturday after earning a stunning triumph against four-time Shanghai champion Djokovic, he turned on his phone and saw all the messages he had received from family and friends back home in Monaco.

“It was pretty hard to not have a few tears,” said Vacherot, who also ousted 14th seed Alexander Bublik, 20th seed Tomas Machac, 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor and 10th seed Holger Rune earlier in the tournament.

A family affair🥰

But with a battle on the court to come, we dive into their shot qualities during the tournament so far📊#TennisInsights | @atptour | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/IMFozUvu0H

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) October 11, 2025

The Monagesque has changed his life in one tournament, and on Sunday he could become the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in series history (since 1990).

There was plenty to do after looking at those messages, from media to recovery. But most importantly, Vacherot had his eyes on his cousin’s match against Medvedev. After Rinderknech clawed past the former World No. 1 to level their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1, Vacherot returned to the court to share an unforgettable hug with Rinderknech.

“I wanted to comfort him. I was getting recovery, treatment and all. I just didn’t want him to see me all of a sudden because he would know if I was there, it was getting special. I was hiding,” Vacherot said. “But my heart was beating even faster than during my match. It was pretty crazy.”

Nobody would have predicted a Rinderknech-Vacherot final in Shanghai, but the cousins do not seem to mind.

“We deserve it. If we’re here, we deserve it,” Vacherot said. “To be honest right now I don’t even want to think about it. I just want to enjoy the moment, that we’re playing each other.”

The only time they played as professionals was in 2018 at an ITF World Tennis Tour event in France. Rinderknech triumphed on that occasion in straight sets.

On Sunday, the scene will be quite different. On one of the biggest stages in tennis, two cousins will clash for ATP Masters 1000 glory.

“Tomorrow there will be two winners anyway,” Rinderknech said. “There’s going to be a match, of course. But today, we won everything. We couldn’t win any more.”

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Rinderknech upsets Medvedev to set final against cousin Vacherot, turning Shanghai into Hollywood

The story of the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters is fit for a Hollywood script.

Two cousins, Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot, will play for the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 title of the season. After Vacherot stunned record four-time champion Novak Djokovic earlier Saturday, Rinderknech clawed past 2019 Shanghai winner Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to make the final a family affair.

The scene after Medvedev hit a double fault to end the match was unforgettable. Rinderknech fell to the court in celebration and Vacherot, who returned to centre court to watch the end of the match, held his head in shock. Vacherot then walked on court for an emotional hug with his cousin.

An ecstatic Rinderknech signed the television camera: “And now what???!!!!”

The Frenchman became the ninth French player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final. This was the 30-year-old’s first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final and he will now play in his second ATP Tour final.

More to come…

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Vacherot's unforgettable Shanghai run: Five jaw-dropping facts

Valentin Vacherot at the Rolex Shanghai Masters has crafted one of the most memorable runs in ATP Tour history.

A qualifier who entered the tournament No. 204 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Vacherot has introduced himself to the tennis world in stunning fashion, reaching the final of the ATP Masters 1000 event with an upset of 100-time tour-level titlist Novak Djokovic on Saturday.

ATPTour.com looks at five stunning facts about the Monagesque star’s tournament.

Vacherot is lowest-ranked finalist in ATP Masters 1000 series history
Entering Shanghai, the lowest-ranked finalist in Masters 1000 history (since 1990) was Andrei Pavel, who made the championship match at the 2003 Rolex Paris Masters. The Romanian was World No. 191 when he pushed eventual champion Tim Henman to a final-set tie-break before falling short.

Vacherot is the first player outside the Top 200 to make a Masters 1000 final.

Lowest-Ranked ATP Masters 1000 Finalists (since 1990)

He Has Made Monegasque History
No player representing Monaco had made the quarter-finals of an ATP Tour event, let alone the final of an ATP Masters 1000 event. By stunning Djokovic, Vacherot also became the first Monegasque player to earn a Top 10 win.

He will make his Top 100 debut after Shanghai and is currently No. 58 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Shocker From Outside Top 200
During his storybook tournament, Vacherot has earned three Top 20 victories, eliminating No. 17 Alexander Bublik, No. 11 Holger Rune and No. 5 Djokovic. He is only the second man ranked outside the Top 200 to claim three wins against Top 20 opponents this century.

The other player who did it was No. 205 Tim van Rijthoven, who beat three opponents inside the Top 15 to lift the ‘s-Hertogenbosch title in 2022.

Vacherot Nearly Perfect Against Top 50 This Season
With his victory against Djokovic, Vacherot is now 7-1 against players inside the Top 50 in 2025. Five of those triumphs have come in Shanghai, also beating No. 31 Tallon Griekspoor and No. 23 Tomas Machac.

This season he has also defeated then-No. 37 Nuno Borges in Davis Cup action and No. 49 Jan-Lennard Struff at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. That was his only career ATP Tour win prior to Shanghai, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index (was 1-5 in ATP main draws). His lone loss this year against a Top 50 opponent came in three sets in the Monte-Carlo second round against Grigor Dimitrov.

Seventh Player To Reach First Final At Masters 1000 Event Since 2000
Before the Rolex Shanghai Masters, only six players this century had made their first ATP Tour final at a Masters 1000 event. Vacherot is the seventh.

The 26-year-old joined Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Dusan Lajovic, Filip Krajinovic, Jerzy Janowicz, Radek Stepanek and Max Mirnyi in achieving the feat. Nobody on the list won the title, so Vacherot will try to become the first. Find out where each player made his breakthrough below.

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Gracious Djokovic focuses on Vacherot, not physical struggles after Shanghai loss: 'All about him'

After a tournament of physical challenges at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Novak Djokovic chose to focus on praising his opponent following his semi-final loss against World No. 204 Valentin Vacherot.

“I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters [1000] final,” Djokovic said. “Going from qualifications, it’s an amazing story. I told him at the net that he’s had an amazing tournament, but more so his attitude is very good, and his game was amazing as well.”

Djokovic showed great perseverance throughout the tournament to reach the last four, and was within two victories of a record-extending 41st ATP Masters 1000 title and first at the level since the 2023 Rolex Paris Masters.

But the former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings was unable to navigate past the Monegasque qualifier Vacherot, who became the lowest-ranked finalist in Masters 1000 history, in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

After the match, Djokovic graciously congratulated the 26-year-old at the net and opted to focus on the former college tennis standout at Texas A&M University rather than his ailments during the event. He did not discuss those struggles.

“It’s all about him,” Djokovic said. “I wish him all the best in the final, and the better player won today.”

After defeating former World No. 3 Marin Cilic in his opening match of the tournament without clear signs of difficulty, Djokovic began facing hurdles.

In the third round against Yannick Hanfmann, Djokovic had to overcome the humidity and appeared to vomit during a two-hour, 42-minute comeback win.

“It’s the same for every player out on the court, but it’s brutal,” said Djokovic, who shortened points during the match to turn the clash in his favour.

The 38-year-old again had to conquer more than his opponent in the Round of 16, receiving multiple medical timeouts for a leg issue in a two-hour, 40-minute triumph against Jaume Munar. He also frequently used an ice towel and threw up multiple times, laying on the court after losing the second set.

But Djokovic continued to battle through, once again showing his grit in the quarter-finals. he shook off what appeared to be a problem with his left foot to beat Zizou Bergs in straight sets.

“I was just trying to stay alive on the court,” Djokovic said. “I’m glad to overcome this hurdle.”

The four-time Shanghai champion did everything he could to find a way through against Vacherot on Saturday, even sticking his head in a courtside bucket to try to compose himself.

After saving break point in the first game of the second set, Djokovic fell to his knees. But the Serbian rose and continued to battle on, throwing everything at his Monegasque opponent, sending the crowd in China into a frenzy frequently with his shotmaking and athleticism.

Throughout the tournament, the crowds at the Rolex Shanghai Masters showed massive support for the 100-time tour-level titlist, both during matches and off the court. Djokovic expressed his appreciation several times, including on social media.

On this occasion, though, it was not enough. Vacherot advanced to the final and a gracious Djokovic departed the tournament’s centre court sharing a smile and a heart with his hands to thank the fans for their support.

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Djokovic loses to qualifier as cousins set up Shanghai final

Novak Djokovic suffers a shock defeat by Monegasque qualifier Valentin Vacherot in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters.

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World No. 204 Vacherot stuns ailing Djokovic in Shanghai SF, makes M1000 history

Valentin Vacherot’s seismic breakthrough at the Rolex Shanghai Masters is not over yet. The Monegasque qualifier sank record four-time champion Novak Djokovic in stunning fashion Sunday to reach the championship match.

The No. 204 player in the PIF ATP Rankings prevailed 6-3, 6-4 against Djokovic to become the lowest-ranked finalist in ATP Masters 1000 history (since 1990). Vacherot remained cool and composed throughout to capitalise expertly on the physical struggles of Djokovic, who twice received treatment from the physio on his lower back in the opening set.

Never stop believing 🤩

World No. 204 @val_vacherot defeats Djokovic to become the lowest ranked ATP Masters 1000 finalist in history.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/ha32DUf8Sc

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 11, 2025

Vacherot won 78 per cent (28/36) of points behind his first serve en route to the biggest win of his career against the World No. 5 Djokovic. Having not been in qualifying when the entry list first came out, the 26-year-old will on Sunday take on his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, for the trophy.

Vacherot, who ensured he will rise into the Top 100 for the first time on Monday by defeating Holger Rune in the quarter-finals, has now risen 146 spots to No. 58 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Shanghai run. His career-high, reached last June, is No. 110. The former college tennis player at Texas A&M University is just the sixth player this century to reach his first ATP Tour final at a Masters 1000 event, and the first to accomplish the feat since Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

“I’m not realising [what’s happened], so I can’t give any words on it,” said Vacherot. “This is just crazy. First of all, to just be on the other side of the court [from Novak] was an unbelievable experience. I think I’ve got so much to learn from this match, from him. Even for myself, I’ve got a lot to keep.

“It was an hour and 40 minutes of pure joy, even though not many people wanted me to keep going. He’s really appreciated here. He has won four times. I got a bit lost in all his titles when they were announcing him, but it was an unreal experience. Now I’m probably just going to enjoy the win tonight and think about the final tomorrow.”

Vacherot was seemingly unaffected by nerves throughout his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Djokovic, even as the Serbian’s physical struggles played out across the net. He struck 23 winners to his opponent’s nine and did not blink when break point down in the final game, in which he closed out victory before receiving words of encouragement from Djokovic as the pair embraced at the net.

Although Djokovic typically dug deep to push Vacherot even as he struggled with his body, the former World No. 1 was unable to produce another remarkable victory at a tournament where he has visibly struggled in the hot and humid conditions. Djokovic received treatment on his lower back at 3-4 in the opening set, and he was immediately broken in the next game, during which he moved gingerly.

Vacherot’s job was far from done, however, and with Djokovic appearing to move more freely in the second set, the Monegasque ensured he took care of his own game to seal his win. He was solid with his groundstrokes off both wings and made his move on return in the ninth game.

The Monegasque player won 44 per cent of his return points overall according to Infosys ATP Stats and broke serve three times from six chances.

Did You Know?
Before Vacherot’s dream tournament, the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 finalist was Andrei Pavel, who was World No. 191 when he made the 2003 Rolex Paris Masters final. Tim Henman defeated the Romanian in a final-set tie-break for the trophy.

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Gauff struggles on serve but wins in Wuhan

French Open champion Coco Gauff puts in a stuttering performance but beats Jasmine Paolini to reach the final of the Wuhan Open.

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‘Beautiful’ upgrades: Inside the enhancements at Shanghai's Qizhong Tennis Center

As the Qizhong Tennis Center celebrates its 20th anniversary, there are plenty of eye-catching facility upgrades to see at the home of the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Asia’s biggest ATP Tour event.

Renowned for its iconic magnolia retractable roof, the Qizhong Tennis Center opened in 2005 and hosted the Tennis Masters Cup for four consecutive years before the inaugural ATP Masters 1000 event began in 2009. Tournament director Michael Luevano and managing director Charles Humphrey Smith have seen the growth of not only the tournament, but also the facilities, most recently exemplified by this year’s developments.

“We have two new features this year,” said Smith. “One is a new roof at Grandstand 2, a fantastic design unlike anything in the world. And a new practice court, which is probably the first in tennis that we built — a stadium just for practice for our top players.”

The 1,400-seat practice stadium allows fans an intimate view of the world’s best players.

“It’s a more relaxed environment and in one day, [fans] probably see two or three of the best players in the world here, so for them it’s sort of a buffet of the best,” Smith added.

<img alt=”Court 17, the all-new practice court at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/08/23/53/shanghai-2025-practice-court.jpg” />
^{Court 17, the all-new practice court at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Credit: Rolex Shanghai Masters}
The practice stadium has not only been enjoyed by fans, but also players like Holger Rune, who made his first Shanghai quarter-final this edition.

“It’s nice for players to have a nice match court to train on and also some practice in a more comfortable setting,” said Rune. “I actually had three practices on that new court. One with Novak [Djokovic], one with [Ugo] Humbert and one with [Miomir] Kecmanovic. There’s more space for the fans and it’s a safer environment, which is great.”

Alex de Minaur, who is seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and vying for a second consecutive trip to the Nitto ATP Finals, also praised the facility improvements and atmosphere surrounding the new practice court.

“It’s a beautiful court and I had the chance to have a hit with a fellow Aussie Rinky [Hijikata] and that was a lot of fun,” said De Minaur. “Whenever you are in China, they show such amazing support. The fans are great, they’re grateful, they love their tennis, and it’s always a pleasure to play in front of them.”

Like De Minaur, Serbian Novak Djokovic resonates with the passionate Chinese fans. The 38-year-old owns a record four titles in Shanghai, where he is making his 11th appearance, dating back to the tournament’s 2009 debut.

“Every practice session it feels like playing a match,” said Djokovic, titlist in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018. “The amount of people that are there, screaming and really willing to show their support and show their love and passion for what I do — I just love coming back and performing in front of the crowd that always gives me great energy, great vibes.”

The newly completed Grandstand 2 roof was completed with a quick turnaround. Design, permitting, and construction all took place across roughly eight months. With weather largely cooperating this week, the 5,000-seat stadium has featured a closed roof just once in the first seven days of main-draw action.

^{Grandstand 2. Credit: Rolex Shanghai Masters}
Former champion Daniil Medvedev, who triumphed in Shanghai in 2019, played his opening match against Dalibor Svrcina on Grandstand 2. Medvedev has long enjoyed his trips to the ATP Masters 1000 event.

“Since the first time I came here, I’ve always said it’s the best tournament we have on tour if we take out the Grand Slams,” Medvedev said. “Of course it’s just my opinion, but that’s my favourite tournament on Tour. I love coming back here, I love the facilities, I love the courts, I love everything around this place.”

Grandstand 2’s retractable roof is unique: when open, it covers the piazza area, and when closed, the entire court is fully protected. Its aesthetic design makes it a unique structure not just in tennis, but sports overall.

Among other notable upgrades is the expansion of the miniature golf course, which has proven popular with players. Located behind the spacious player lounge, the mini golf course was expanded from nine holes to 18.

“Each hole has a little description of where you are in China,” said Smith. “One of the highlights from last year was we started this little mini golf tournament. At the end of the day, there is a chance to step away from tennis and have something that is fun right here and have a great time.”

The Qizhong Tennis Center’s upgrades are rooted in two decades of evolution. Luevano fondly remembers the planning stages of the magnolia-inspired retractable roof atop Stadium Court.

“It’s an incredible journey we’ve been through and I remember seeing the early stages of architectural designs for the stadium,” said Luevano. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, they would never approve this.

This eight-piece retractable roof type of stadium, it’s just too radical’. But then I heard the story behind it, that it represents the Shanghai magnolia flower and I said, ‘Okay, this is the one, now I understand’.”

The late Brad Drewett, former ATP Executive Chairman and President, who once served as CEO of the International Region, took multiple trips from the Sydney office to Shanghai to witness the construction firsthand.

“We walked the construction site in this massive, massive facility with hard hats, and we have pictures of all that,” said Luevano. “It’s just amazing 20 years later what’s been done around it.

“This is still probably one of the most iconic tennis venues in the world. It’s just such a great piece of history in my life.”

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