Just three weeks ago, Valentin Vacherot was the world No. 204, a 26-year-old from Monaco whose future seemed destined for the minor leagues of professional tennis. Now, he is the world No. 39 and the reigning ATP Shanghai Masters 1000 champion in what has become the men’s tennis Cinderella story of the decade.
This new reality was on full display in Basel, Switzerland, where a grinning Vacherot began the next chapter of his career. “I’m good! Happy to be here!” he exclaimed.
Instead of competing in Challenger Tour events as originally planned, Vacherot’s stunning victory propelled him to the year’s final Masters 1000 tournament in Paris. There, he eased past world No. 18 Jiří Lehečka 6-1, 6-3 in his opening match. His reward is a second showdown with his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, in three tournaments, whom he defeated in the emotional Shanghai final.
“I’m here as if I were a child and thinking how wonderful it is to be here,” Vacherot said in Paris.
The whirlwind continued off the court. Shortly after his title win, he was celebrated at a homecoming reception with Prince Albert of Monaco. While Vacherot is still processing his newfound fame, he remains grounded. “For my career everything changed,” he said. “Maybe a little bit how people look at me. But me, myself, nothing is changing.”
Vacherot’s triumph was also a landmark achievement for Monaco. The principality, home to about 10,000 native Monégasques, had never before had an ATP singles champion. As Vacherot advanced from the qualifying rounds to the main draw, beating 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic along the way, it felt as if the entire nation was watching.
“Not much sleep since this crazy weekend and it just doesn’t stop,” said Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, president of the Monégasque Tennis Federation. “Very good problems to have.”
De Massy has known Vacherot since childhood and is close with his family, including his half-brother and coach, former player Benjamin Balleret. Vacherot grew up at the Monte Carlo Country Club, a training base for many of the world’s top 50 players. Despite this exposure, he was not considered a can’t-miss prospect.
It was his cousin, Rinderknech, who forged the path to professional tennis that would eventually lead them both to the final in Shanghai. Their journey took an unconventional route through College Station, Texas. Steve Denton, the head men’s coach at Texas A&M University, recruited Rinderknech after being impressed by his athleticism and potential. A year later, Rinderknech told his coach about his cousin.
“Steve-O, he says, I got a cousin that’s just as good as I am, or maybe even better,” Denton recalled. A trip to the French junior championships was all it took. “Probably the easiest recruit that I’ve ever had,” Denton said.
At Texas A&M, Vacherot majored in sports management and honed his game on hard courts, a significant change from the clay he grew up on. Denton remembers him as a “baby giraffe at the beginning,” tall and lanky but not yet physically developed. However, Vacherot possessed a crucial trait: fearlessness. This quality was evident in Shanghai, where he won six of his nine matches after losing the first set.
“I think that’s his greatest trait,” Denton said. “When he’s gotten into these tournaments, he’s gone after it and obviously that’s paid great dividends.”
According to his coach, Vacherot’s primary challenge has been consistency, especially when he is the favorite. “Val basically is better against the better opponent,” Balleret explained. “When he enters the court, and he’s the favorite, he is going less for the ball.”
After five years in Texas, Vacherot turned professional and began the slow climb up the ATP Challenger Tour. He was on the verge of breaking into the top 100 before a shoulder injury at the 2024 French Open and a knee injury at Wimbledon set him back. In retrospect, he believes the injuries gave him time to improve physically and intensify his motivation.
In Shanghai, everything clicked. After a few early wins, he said, “You just believe in yourself.” He defeated No. 14 seed Alexander Bublik, advanced when Tomáš Macháč retired, and went on to beat Tallon Griekspoor and Holger Rune. His match against a fatigued Djokovic was his only straight-sets victory of the week, followed by the dramatic three-set comeback against his cousin in the final.
Vacherot is realistic about the future. “I know I’m not going to do it every single tournament,” he acknowledged before losing a tight three-set match to world No. 5 Taylor Fritz in Basel. But his surprise run provides a significant advantage: with almost no ranking points to defend for most of next year, he has a massive opportunity to solidify his place among the elite. The key will be managing his schedule to avoid the burnout that affected some of the top players he defeated in Shanghai.
For now, his ambition is clear. “Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slams. I think he wants to win the 25th one,” Vacherot said. “I want to win more… even if my next title is an ATP 250, I haven’t won one. So I want to just win more titles.”
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