Tennis News

Krawietz/Puetz win Shanghai, snap 33-year wait for German M1000-winning pair

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz etched their names onto an exclusive list in German tennis history on Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

With their 6-4, 6-4 championship-match victory against Andre Goransson and Alex Michelsen in China, Krawietz and Puetz became just the second all-German duo to win a doubles title in ATP Masters 1000 series history (since 1990). The players they have joined on that list? A pair of illustrious singles stars in former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Boris Becker and former World No. 2 Michael Stich, who won the 1992 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters doubles crown together.

German engineering at its finest 🇩🇪🏆

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz defeat Goransson/Michelsen 6-4 6-4 to capture their maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown as an all-German team.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/umnG6NsRxt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 12, 2025

“Let’s not put us in any way in the same category as these two,” said the 37-year-old Puetz after lifting his second Masters 1000 crown (he also won the Rolex Paris Masters in 2021 alongside New Zealander Michael Venus. “[My first Masters 1000 title] was very special. Actually, Michael Stich sent me a text message after the first one. I didn’t know him at all, and it was very, very nice of him. He sent me a really nice message after I won in Paris.

“It’s not nicer with Kevin, but it’s definitely different winning it with a countryman… We’re actually genuinely friends, also with our teams. We go see each other, even when we don’t have tournaments. So it’s very, very nice to share that. Obviously, victories are nice, but also to share in defeats. I think all in all we’re just happy with this phase of our careers and our lives to be together in those moments.”

Krawietz and Puetz converted three of eight break points they earned in Sunday’s final, according to Infosys ATP Stats. They let slip a 3-1 lead in the second set but immediately notched a second, decisive break of the set in the seventh game en route to an 83-minute victory.

Having marched to the Shanghai title for the loss of just one set, Krawietz and Puetz have risen one spot to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. They are well placed to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, where they lifted the trophy last year.

“We got to the semi-finals, and then after the semi-final I was of course happy to be in the final,” reflected the 33-year-old Krawietz on his Shanghai run with Puetz. “Of course, you want to win the final. Here and there some tight moments, of course, so I had to figure out how to handle it.

“In the end it went the right way, so very happy, very proud. Let’s enjoy the moment now.”

Source link

Inside Rinderknech & Vacherot's journey from college tennis to the Shanghai final

In 2018 the Texas A&M University men’s tennis team suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in the semi-finals of the NCAA Championships to Wake Forest University. Arthur Rinderknech played No. 2 singles for A&M while his cousin, Valentin Vacherot, competed at No. 4 singles. Their matches were side by side on that difficult day, which marked the end of Rinderknech’s accomplished college tennis career.

Head coach Steve Denton, the two-time Australian Open finalist, still remembers what Rinderknech said to him in the aftermath of that loss.

“When Arthur left to go out to try to go play [professionally], I remember him saying to me, ‘Steve, make sure that you take care of my cousin like you took care of me’,” Denton told ATPTour.com. “I said, ‘Absolutely, I’ll do that’.”

Denton has maintained his relationship with the cousins, who on Sunday will meet for ATP Masters 1000 glory in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters. They each defeated a former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings — Rinderknech ousted Daniil Medvedev and Vacherot beat Novak Djokovic — in the semi-finals.

“This is a dream come true for these two guys,” Denton said. “They’ve taken the road maybe not traveled as much, obviously, and unless you’re a freak like a [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz, a lot of players have to go through all these things in order to get to where they are.”

The college coach has been waking up in the middle of the night to watch his former players playing in China. It has been a thrilling experience for Denton, who wanted to travel to Shanghai for the final. However, by the time the former Aggies reached the championship match, there were no flights that would arrive on time.

“I went to sleep last night and it was very improbable that Valentin Vacherot was going to beat Novak Djokovic,” Denton said. “Arthur has been playing really well, and he’s very confident, but still, Medvedev is a former number one player in the world and for Arthur to be able to win that match and then get to play each other in the finals is just an amazing story.”

Denton traveled to France when Rinderknech was still a junior to watch three or four players and gauge his interest in them. After watching Arthur for two minutes, the former singles World No. 12 and doubles World No. 2 knew which player he wanted.

When Rinderknech first arrived on campus at Texas A&M, the Frenchman was unable to compete for a year because he was ineligible. The character he showed that year stuck with the longtime coach.

“He suffered watching the other guys play,” Denton said. “And I think that suffering that he went through really helped him in a lot of respects, molded him into being this selfless leader.”

It was all about the team for Rinderknech in an individual sport. Fast forward to Saturday when he lost the first set in the semi-finals against Medvedev. A career-best run was nearing an end against the 2019 Shanghai champion and in the moment, the 30-year-old was not fully focused on winning the match, but trying to help wear down Medvedev so he would be exhausted Sunday in the final against his cousin.

“That’s the kind of kid he is. He’s always been a team player for us,” Denton said. “He was a team player, and he kind of hung in there in that match thinking, ‘Well, if I can’t win, maybe I can take Medvedev’s legs away from him a little bit by staying out here and giving Val a better chance’. And they both think that way. They both have a lot of humility. They both are very team oriented and clearly even more so than that, they are family oriented.”

That is a big reason why Vacherot ended up playing at Texas A&M, even if Denton had no idea Rinderknech had a cousin — let alone such a good tennis player — early on.

“After the first year and me having a good relationship with him and him loving it here, I think he thought, ‘Okay, this is a good spot for my cousin, I’m going to look out for him and I’m going to make sure he comes here’,” Denton said. “And that’s what happened.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by ATP Tour (@atptour)

The pair overlapped for two seasons and helped take the programme to its greatest heights. Rinderknech was more confident and outgoing compared to Vacherot, who was “pretty reserved”. But both proved great leaders, just in their own style. It has been special to watch their dramatic breakthrough from afar.

“You tell young players and their families that you’re going to take care of them and that you’re going to help them to try to go play pro tennis,” Denton said. “And so by doing that, you have to continue to stay involved in their game. And I’ve been involved with their game from the beginning, and as long as they want me to help them, I’m happy to do it.”

Although Denton will not be in Shanghai, he is eager to turn on the match in the early hours of Sunday morning in Texas to watch his Aggies battle in just the second ATP Masters 1000 final between former college tennis players in series history (since 1990). Mikael Pernfors (Georgia) beat Todd Martin (Northwestern) in the 1993 Canada final.

“There are lots of exciting stories about tennis, but this story, at this time, is I think as good as any this year,” Denton said. “And what I’m excited about is these two guys have basically told the rest of the world that college tennis is a definite pathway to the Tour.”

Source link

How much prize money will the Shanghai champion, Rinderknech or Vacherot, earn?

Surprise Rolex Shanghai Masters finalists Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot have said they already consider themselves winners at the ATP Masters 1000 event because the cousins have made the final together.

However, there is still plenty to play for in Shanghai, including prize money. The champion will leave China having earned US $1,124,380.

Entering the tournament, Vacherot had earned $594,077 for his career. The Monegasque player, who had only claimed one career ATP Tour match win entering Shanghai according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, has exceeded that total just by making the final. He is guaranteed to earn at least $597,890.

View the full prize-money breakdown and the PIF ATP Rankings points at stake at the Rolex Shanghai Masters below.

2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters Singles Prize Money

More From Shanghai
Cousins Rinderknech & Vacherot living ‘undreamable dream’: Who will win Shanghai final?
Vacherot’s unforgettable Shanghai run: Five jaw-dropping facts
Gracious Djokovic focuses on Vacherot, not physical struggles after Shanghai loss: ‘All about him’

Source link

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.”

Source link

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…

Source link

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.

Source link

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.

Source link

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.

Source link

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.

Source link

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.

Source link