Tennis News

Hurkacz, Swiatek’s Team Poland first to commit to 2026 United Cup

Former World No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz and six-time major champion and 2025 Wimbledon winner Iga Swiatek will join forces at the 2026 United Cup, making Poland the first team to commit to next year’s event.

From 2 January-11 January, Poland plus 17 other countries, featuring up to three men and up to three women, will compete side by side across Perth and Sydney for the fourth consecutive year.

In the innovative mixed teams tennis event, players will compete for the coveted trophy, a minimum AUD $17 million in prize money and 500 PIF ATP Rankings and WTA Rankings points.

Team Poland, two-time finalists, will make its fourth appearance at the United Cup.

World No. 2 Swiatek, who won her latest Grand Slam title at Wimbledon before winning her 25th career singles title in Seoul last month, will once again lead the team.

“The United Cup is always amazing. It’s always an amazing experience and just an honour to represent your country and especially alongside such great players,” said Swiatek, who holds a 14-2 win-loss singles record at the event.

“I love being part of the team and have great memories of playing this event. This tournament is different. It brings more excitement than normal tournaments we play during the year.”

Swiatek is looking forward to catching up with her Polish fans in Australia.

“They’re the best because they’re literally everywhere,” said Swiatek. “In any country that we go, there are many Polish people and in Australia, there’s a big Polish community. I think they’re really committed and really believe in us, and that’s what’s most important.”

Hurkacz also loves the team aspect of the United Cup and the trip Down Under.

“I really enjoy the team atmosphere and the opportunity to represent our country,” said Hurkacz. “And I really love coming to Australia and of course the Australian people. I really, really like the atmosphere there.”

In 2025, Poland fell 2-0 to Team USA’s Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz in the final.

In 2024, Poland held championship points in a deciding mixed doubles match before Germany triumphed 2-1.

Perth will host the first day of United Cup action on 2 January at RAC Arena, while the group stage in Sydney will begin on 3 January at Ken Rosewall Arena.

Group winners in each city will advance to the quarter-finals with one quarter-final spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city.

The quarter-finals in Perth will be held on 7 January. In Sydney will be held on 8 and 9 January. The semi-finals and final will be hosted in Sydney on 10 and 11 January.

“We are delighted six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek and Hubi Hurkacz of Poland have committed early to the United Cup this summer,” United Cup Tournament Director Stephen Farrow said.

“The United Cup holds a unique position in global tennis, with the world’s best men and women representing their country at the highest level. We’re extremely proud to be delivering the fourth edition of the tournament.

“The players adore playing for their country and to be able to give countries the opportunity to bring their passion and pride together in a mixed team environment creates any energy that makes them all want to be part of it. We look forward to connecting with our sporting fans and the tennis community again this summer.”

Western Australia Tourism Minister, the Hon. Reece Whitby MLA said, “The United Cup will be a sensational start to 2026, marking the fourth consecutive summer that Perth has hosted this world-class tournament, a true testament to Western Australia’s standing as a premier destination for major sporting events,”

“This fantastic event will showcase some of the world’s best tennis players, drawing thousands of spectators to witness the action and adding millions of dollars into WA as part of our economic diversification strategy during the holiday season.”

NSW Minister for Sport and Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper added “I’m thrilled Team Poland led by reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek has committed to the 2026 United Cup. This tournament is one of the most anticipated fixtures on the NSW summer sporting calendar, with the passion shown by the world’s best tennis players competing for their nation creating an incredible atmosphere for fans. Sydney is one of the world’s great stages for international sport, and as the host of the United Cup’s biggest matches, we look forward to welcoming tennis fans from around the world for another thrilling event experience in the Harbour City.”

More To Know About The United Cup

• Participation is subject to players committing to the event by the tournament’s entry deadline of 11 November

• At the entry deadline, 10 countries will qualify for the United Cup via the five highest-ranked men and five highest-ranked women entered, based on their PIF ATP Rankings and WTA Rankings.

• Eight teams will qualify according to the best combined ranking of the highest-ranked men’s and women’s players from the same country

• At the second qualification date on 17 November, if there is a player in the Top 10 (maximum 1 ATP and 1 WTA player) of the latest PIF ATP Rankings or WTA Rankings who has entered and has an eligible team but has not been accepted based on their individual ATP/WTA ranking, they will be accepted, and their team will replace the lowest ranked team with combined ranking

• Australia is guaranteed entry, either directly via ranking or as a wild card

• Each city will host nine teams each: three groups of three countries, competing in a round-robin format

• Each tie will comprise one men’s singles and one women’s singles match featuring the No.1-ranked singles players, and one mixed doubles match

• Singles matches are best of three tie-break sets. Mixed doubles matches are two tie-break sets with a deciding Match Tie-break (10 point) at one set all

• Group winners in each city advance to the quarter-finals with one quarter-final spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city

• Winners will progress to the semi-finals and final to be played in Sydney

• The United Cup official draw will be held on 17 November and will determine where the 18 countries will play across Perth and Sydney.

Tickets For The United Cup

• Tickets for the United Cup quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in Sydney go on sale at 4pm AEDT Monday 13 October via Ticketmaster with tickets from $50

• Tickets for the United Cup quarter-finals in Perth go on sale at 4pm AWST Monday 13 October via Ticketek with tickets from $43

• Tickets to the United Cup group stages will go on sale in November; Sydney group stage tickets from $40, Perth group stage tickets from $43.

Source link

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.”

Source link

'One family that won' – Vacherot beats cousin for historic Shanghai title

World number 204 Valentin Vacherot beats his cousin Arthur Rinderknech at the Shanghai Masters to become the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion.

Source link

Can Medvedev make incredible comeback to reach Nitto ATP Finals?

Daniil Medvedev has made six consecutive Nitto ATP Finals appearances. Will the 2020 champion make a big comeback to secure a seventh straight showing at the season finale?

Medvedev entered the Rolex Shanghai Masters in 20th place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, nearly out of contention for a spot in Italy from 9-16 November. But the 29-year-old advanced to the semi-finals in Shanghai, climbing to 15th in the Live Race. 

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin (following Shanghai)

^{*Draper is not competing the rest of the season due to injury.}

With 2,360 points, Medvedev now trails eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti by 1,075 points. Although there is not a lot of time to surge into a qualifying spot, Medvedev has an opportunity. The former World No. 1 will try to make up ground this week at the Almaty Open — an ATP 250 event — where he is the second seed. Musetti is the top seed at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open in Brussels.

Medvedev is also scheduled to compete in the ATP 500 in Vienna, where he won the title in 2022, and the Rolex Paris Masters, giving him a chance to earn 1,750 points in his next three tournaments.

Musetti and sixth-placed Ben Shelton are trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. Ninth-placed Jack Draper was also trying to make his debut, but will not compete for the rest of the season due to injury.

Everyone else currently in a qualifying position has competed in the year-end championships before. Novak Djokovic is a record seven-time Nitto ATP Finals champion and Alexander Zverev has claimed glory at the event twice.

Tenth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime put himself in position to make a qualification push by reaching the US Open semi-finals. The Canadian, currently 530 points behind Musetti, is the second seed in Stockholm. Eleventh-placed Casper Ruud (2,495 points) is the second seed at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm where 12th-placed Holger Rune (2,490 points) is the top seed.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals. Sinner is the defending champion, and Alcaraz will chase his first title at the tournament.

Source link

Gauff beats Pegula to win Wuhan Open title

Coco Gauff beats Jessica Pegula in straight sets to win the Wuhan Open.

Source link

Vacherot completes Shanghai fairytale, defeats cousin Rinderknech for maiden title

Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech’s remarkable respective runs at the Rolex Shanghai Masters came to a fairytale close on Sunday, when Vacherot rallied to defeat his cousin and former college teammate 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and capture his maiden tour-level title. In doing so, the Monegasque World No. 204 became the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in history (since 1990).

“It is unreal what just happened. I have no idea what is happening right now. I am not even dreaming, it is just crazy,” Vacherot said. “I am just so happy with my performances the past two weeks. I just want to thank everyone who has helped with my career since the beginning. There has to be one loser but I think there is two winners today. One family that won and I think for the sport of tennis, the story is unreal.”

Competing in front of a packed Stadium Court at one of the biggest events on the ATP Tour, the setting for the final could not have been further removed from the pair’s Texas A&M University days, where they played side by side in 2018.

Fast forward seven years and their paths have diverged. Rinderknech arrived in Shanghai with a career-high of No. 42 in the PIF ATP Rankings, with his best result a final run at the ATP 250 in Adelaide in 2022. He had never progressed beyond the third round at a Masters 1000 event until this week.

Vacherot’s rise, however, proved even more improbable. The 26-year-old entered the tournament with just one tour-level win to his name, earned earlier this year in Monte-Carlo. He became the lowest-ranked finalist in Masters 1000 history (since 1990), and over the course of two unforgettable weeks, rewrote the trajectory of his career.

After battling through qualifying, the 26-year-old notched wins against Laslo Djere, Alexander Bublik, Tomas Machac, and Tallon Griekspoor to become the first player representing Monaco to reach a Masters 1000 quarter-final. He then stunned Holger Rune and four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic to reach the title match.

In a compelling final, Vacherot once again showcased his resilience. He rallied from a set down for the sixth time this tournament, including qualifying, to become the first player representing Monaco to win a tour-level title in the Open Era. He is also just the third qualifier to win a Masters 1000 crown, joining Roberto Carretero (Hamburg 1996) and Albert Portas (Hamburg 2001).

“I feel when I am down, I have no choice and need to bring my A-game,” Vacherot said on his impressive record of coming from behind. “In the first set I didn’t do that and he was playing better than me. I took my first chance to break in the second set and from that the crowd got more involved and we put on more of a show in the second part of the match.”

From alternate to MASTERS 1000 CHAMPION 🏆

World No. 204 Valentin Vacherot defeats cousin Arthur Rinderknech 4-6 6-3 6-3 to claim the crown in Shanghai.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/SPr3iupUQR

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 12, 2025

The Monegasque is the eighth first-time champion on Tour this season and just the fifth man in ATP Masters 1000 history to claim his maiden tour-level title at this level, following Jakub Mensik, who achieved the feat earlier this year in Miami.

Vacherot leaves Shanghai up 164 spots to No. 40 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and is set to crack the Top 100 and Top 50 for the first time on Monday. He also takes $1,124,380 in prize money with him, having earned $594,077 for his whole career before this fortnight.

“I was just trying to beat the guy on the other side of the net,” Vacherot said on the dynamics of facing Rinderknech. “Try to put on the side that it is my cousin and the guy I have been training with and growing up with. It was very tough and he did a better job than me in the first set, coping with the pressure. But I just found a way to turn it around.”

Throughout the fortnight, Rinderknech and Vacherot supported each other from the sidelines, cheering one another on and sharing words of encouragement both in person and through their family group chat.

Vacherot had a front-row seat for Rinderknech’s standout run, which included wins against Top 20 opponents Alexander Zverev, Jiri Lehecka, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Daniil Medvedev. On Sunday, he experienced first-hand just how tough his cousin can be to beat.

Rinderknech struck 12 winners and committed just two unforced errors in an impressive opening-set display, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The 30-year-old took the ball early to rush Vacherot and gained the decisive break of the first set in the third game to lead in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash.

Vacherot responded in the second set. The 26-year-old kept Rinderknech deep behind the baseline, gaining the first strike in the exchanges to dictate the tempo. From 3-3 in the second set, Vacherot broke Rinderknech in consecutive games to lead by a break in the third set. From there, he continued to play aggressively, taking large cuts at the ball to dominate. He won 92 per cent of his first-serve points in the decider and hit just one unforced error in the third set to capture the biggest win of his life after two hours and 11 minutes.

Rinderknech is up 26 places to No. 28 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and will rise to a career high on Monday. The 30-year-old recorded his 100th tour-level win in the semi-finals to become the ninth French Masters 1000 finalist in series history.

Did You Know?

Rinderknech’s meeting with Vacherot was just the third all-unseeded Masters 1000 final in series history.

Source link

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