Valentin Vacherot’s ‘Sick Run’ Comment Goes Viral After His Shanghai Masters Fairytale

Valentin Vacherot clinched his career's first ATP title by beating his cousin Arthur Rinderknech at the Shanghai Masters.

Valentin Vacherot’s ‘Sick Run’ Comment Goes Viral After His Shanghai Masters Fairytale

Valentin Vacherot (Image via X/TNT Sports)

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Valentin Vacherot entered the Shanghai Masters as an alternate player and secured a spot in the main draw of the tournament for the first time in his career. At that time, perhaps no one thought he would leave Shanghai with the trophy.

But he won the Masters 1000 event- his career’s first title, making him only the fifth man in history to win his first ATP title in a Masters 1000 level, following Jakub Mensik, who clinched the Miami Open this year after beating Novak Djokovic. The Serb was also Vacherot’s opponent, though he played Djokovic in the semifinals.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was the fifth-seeded player the Monegasque beat en route to the successful run. In the final, Vacherot met none other than his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, against whom he came from a set down to deny him his career’s first ATP title. A text from Vacherot to his friend, following his Shanghai win, has been doing the rounds on social media.

I’m gonna go take my chance in Shanghai Q’s because a sick run can come any second.

Vacherot is also the lowest-ranked player (No.204) to win a Masters 1000 title since 1990. He is also the first player from Monaco to clinch a title at this level. The win has helped the 26-year-old reach a career-best World No.40 ranking after climbing 164 places up on the rankings table. Rinderknech will be a career-high No. 28 player on Monday after he climbed 26 spots.

Valentin Vacherot shares how he will celebrate his Shanghai Masters win

It was Valentin Vacherot’s first tour-level meeting against Arthur Rinderknech, which was also the only third all-unseeded final in a Masters 1000 tournament. Following the win, he was asked about what he is like off the court during an interview with the ATP Tour.

Valentin Vacherot, Arthur Rinderknech
Valentin Vacherot, Arthur Rinderknech (Image via X/ATP Tour)

Off the court, I am really calm, really down to earth. I am not someone you will hear much in the room. Not someone who speaks a lot. It is the little side of me that has helped me a lot on court this week in the big moments. On court, I am pretty energetic, putting all my energy on the court, in training, and matches.

Vacherot had collected $594,077 in his career before entering Shanghai. After his win, he pocketed $1,124,380 in prize money. During that aforementioned interview, Vacherot was asked how he would like to celebrate his win.

I have no idea. I can’t wait to go back home. This is going to be an amazing moment for everyone. To see my friends and my families and my parents, I will see them as soon as a I can. The season is not over; I still have some work to do. Once everything is finished, I will celebrate with my friends.

Before entering the Shanghai Masters, Vacherot had just one tour-level win. That win he clinched at the Monte Carlo Masters over Jan-Lennard Struff.

Roger Federer watches the Shanghai Masters final

Two-time Shanghai Masters champion Roger Federer was in the stand enjoying the Rinderknech versus Vacherot clash. The Swiss maestro was in Shanghai for a celebrity doubles exhibition event.

Roger Federer (2)
Roger Federer (Image via X/Dinora RF)

Federer teamed up with actor Donnie Yen, and they clashed with actor Wu Lei and former WTA ace Zheng Jie. The former pair won the match 5-7, 10-8, 7-1.

The 44-year-old also played an exhibition match in Shanghai last year. He and Chinese singer and actor Eason Chan clashed with the pair of Zhang Zhizhen and table tennis champion Fan Zhendong. In the official singles Shanghai Masters, the 20-time Grand Slam champion clinched the title in 2014 and 2017.

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