(Video) Valentin Vacherot Laughs While Cousin Arthur Rinderknech Collapses Due to Cramps After Shanghai Defeat
Valentin Vacherot has become the first player from Monaco to win a Masters 1000 title.
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Arthur Rinderknech collapsed due to cramps after losing to Valentin Vacherot (Image via X/ATP Tour, Instagram/Tennis TV)
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Valentin Vacherot had a fairytale run in Shanghai as he entered the Masters 1000 event as an alternate player and secured a spot in the main draw after winning the qualifying rounds. Then, after his first-round win over fellow unseeded player Laslo Djere, the Monegasque knocked out seeded players one after the other.
Alexander Bublik, Tomas Machac (gave a walkover), Tallon Griekspoor, and Holger Rune. The player in the semifinal he eliminated was none other than four-time Shanghai Masters champion Novak Djokovic, following which, he set up a clash with his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, also the Daniil Medvedev-conqueror.
Following a three-set battle, Rinderknech collapsed due to cramps while Vacherot was giving his winner’s speech at the trophy presentation. “I think we need some help, please,” Vacherot said while both he and his cousin laughed.
Here’s the video:
They also shed some tears when Rinderknech addressed Vacherot during his runner-up speech. The cousins reached the final of a Masters 1000 for the first time in their careers.
Vacherot is only the third qualifier to win a Masters 1000 title after Roberto Carretero (1996 in Hamburg) and Albert Portas (2001, in Hamburg). He is also the eighth first-time ATP singles title winner this season.
Because of his rankings, Vacherot won’t have to play any more qualifiers at present to feature in some of the biggest tournaments. Before this tournament, he had never secured a spot in the Top 100 rankings.
Valentin Vacherot on why this win means so much to him
Valentin Vacherot is now the first player from Monaco to emerge victorious in a Masters 1000 tournament and is also the lowest-ranked ATP player to take home a title at this level. The win means the 26-year-old, who entered Shanghai as a World No.204, has started the new week as a World No.40 player.
Prior to this fortnight, Vacherot had just one tour-level match win, against Jan-Lennard Struff at the Monte Carlo Masters this year. He is only the fifth ATP player to claim his career’s first singles title at a Masters 1000 tournament (also the second ATP player to do so this year after Jakub Mensik at the Miami Open).
I don’t even understand why I’m sitting here right now. It’s crazy. I mean, I think I will start realizing it in the next few days. Right now, I just want to enjoy the moment. I got very emotional on the court after the ceremony, being there with Arthur.
Valentin Vacherot said during the press conference
Surprisingly, Vacherot had a total of $594,077 in prize money he collected over time. He will leave Shanghai with $1,124,380.
They were incredible moments for both of us, for our family. Unfortunately, there was only one winner. But our family won, and tennis as well, because the story we just wrote is amazing, in my opinion. Yes, emotions were everywhere after the match. A tournament full of challenges from day one.
Valentin Vacherot added
It was his career’s first match against Arthur Rinderknech, who is now a career-high No. 28 in the rankings. The Frenchman was denied his first tour-level win, as before this event, his best performance was his runner-up run at the 2022 Adelaide International.
In Masters 1000 tournaments, the 30-year-old had never progressed beyond the third round before this event. His clash with Vacherot was only the third all-unseeded final match in the history of Masters 1000 events.
The next big tournament is the Paris Masters, which is also the last Masters 1000 of the season. It’s scheduled to start on October 27. Vacherot has so far featured in four Masters 1000 Main draw events (once in Shanghai and thrice at the Monte Carlo Masters). He has never played even the qualifying rounds of the Paris Masters.
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