Balleret on Vacherot's fairytale run: 'When it's your brother it's even more'
Valentin Vacherot’s stunning victory at the Rolex Shanghai Masters is an achievement nobody will soon forget, least of all his coach: Benjamin Balleret.
Vacherot is more than just a player to Balleret — He is family. They are half-brothers, so it is understandably an emotional moment for Balleret.
“It’s a long way and sometimes you lose a little bit faith. Bad losses, it’s difficult emotionally because it’s family, it’s not only a player you work with, which is already difficult,” Balleret said. “You want it so much. But when it’s your brother it’s even more.
“So there was some ups and downs. To be here in front of you guys today as Val is a Masters 1000 champion, it’s just unbelievable.”
Balleret reached No. 204 in the PIF ATP Rankings, ironically the ranking at which Vacherot competed this week. Now the breakthrough Monegasque star will crack the Top 50 on Monday.
The 42-year-old Balleret did not go to college in the United States and instead embarked on his career, famously reaching the third round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in 2006, falling to Roger Federer.
Vacherot, however, followed cousin Arthur Rinderknech to Texas A&M University. At the time, Balleret began his coaching career, spending two and a half years with Gilles Muller and nearly five years with Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
“When Val turned 18 he had a couple choices to make. He wanted to be a professional tennis player, but he was not mature enough in the head, and also in the fitness. He was so skinny. He was not developed physically,” Balleret said. “The family, we discussed it, and we advised him to go to America to college. To learn about tennis, to practise, to have a great coach with Steve Denton.”
Vacherot grew under the tutelage of Denton, the two-time Australian Open finalist. Last year, the Monegasque reached a career-high World No. 110, but a Masters 1000 trophy was not even a dream away.
When the 26-year-old began making his way through the Shanghai draw, the team’s sights were set on playing Jannik Sinner in the fourth round. However, the Italian lost to Tallon Griekspoor. He eventually played 100-time tour-level titlist Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
“You say, ‘Okay, unbelievable. He can play Djokovic once in his life’. And he ends up beating a not 100 per cent Djokovic, but still beating him,” Balleret said. “The story to play Arthur in the final. it’s like everybody said, like a movie, like a fairytale. So that’s how we feel right now, in a fairytale.”
Now Vacherot, No. 40 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, will gain direct entry into the biggest tournaments in the world. As exciting as this victory is, they hope this is just the start.
“Already we say we want to keep going,” Balleret said. “I told him right away, ‘Amazing. We’re going to keep going. We’re going to go again. We’re going to go again full’. And we’ll see what happens next.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]