Valentin Vacherot surprises himself as he puts Monaco on the map
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Monaco's Valentin Vacherot hits a return to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during their semi-final match at the Shanghai Masters.
AFP
Follow topic:
SHANGHAI – Valentin Vacherot said he surprised himself by how he managed his Shanghai Masters semi-final upset win over Novak Djokovic on Oct 11, as the world No. 204 beat the 24-time Grand Slam champion 6-3, 6-4 to march into the Oct 12 final.
Vacherot, who arrived in Shanghai as an alternate and came through qualifiers, has experienced a meteoric rise in the last two weeks, brushing aside top seeds to become the lowest-ranked player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final.
The 26-year-old, who said he had always wanted to play the “Big Three” of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, acknowledged how surreal it felt to face the four-time champion in Shanghai.
“I missed Federer and Nadal in my career because I was (at) such a lower ranking, and they stopped their careers before I was getting into the mix of the same tournaments as them,” Vacherot told reporters.
“To get to play Djokovic already once is unbelievable. To be on the other side of the court, I’m actually really surprised of how I managed it mentally.”
Despite an early setback when he was broken in the opening game, the Monegasque broke back immediately as Djokovic struggled with medical issues.
The Serb threw up courtside and received medical treatment multiple times in the intense heat, with temperatures at 31 deg C and humidity levels of 62 per cent.
He was gracious in defeat, however, admitting the better player won.
“I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final. Going from qualifications, it’s an amazing story,” he said.
“I told him at the net he’s had an amazing tournament, but more so his attitude is very good and his game was amazing as well. So it’s all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals and the better player won.”
Vacherot added that he was happy he was able to break back quickly, before it became a “battle”.
“We know he’s 38 years old, that it’s so hard. I had so many thoughts in my head, even when I just won the first set,” he said.
“But every time I had little thoughts, I was just thinking about the next return or next serve I was going to hit.”
Vacherot’s rise has also been celebrated back home in Monaco, a tiny country not known for successful tennis players.
“We have a bunch of young kids that train every day and just the videos of seeing them jumping around when I win,” he added. “What’s in my heart, the most important, is the joy that I bring back home.
“In singles, I’m the only one in the top 1,000, but then we have two guys in the top 40 in doubles.
“We’re just such a small federation. Four players at that level is crazy for Monaco. We’re a little family.”
Vacherot did not stay long, as he wanted to watch his French cousin Arthur Rinderknech play Daniil Medvedev in the other semi-final. Rinderknech then made it a family affair as he won 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
“As I said already, our family (WhatsApp) group is just a bit out of control these days,” Vacherot quipped.
In women’s tennis, sixth-ranked American Jessica Pegula stunned reigning champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set thriller in the Wuhan Open semi-finals.
Pegula fought back to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) and will face compatriot Coco Gauff in the Oct 12 title decider.
“That was crazy,” Pegula said. “I can’t believe I won that.
“I’m really proud of myself. I’ve played so much tennis in the last few weeks – I feel like I’m very tough right now and I’m using that as best as I can.
“It will be awesome playing Coco in the final here. We know each other so well, there’s no secrets. It’s always an honour to play her, especially in a final.”
Gauff survived a battle of wills against Jasmine Paolini to reach the Wuhan final for the first time, winning 6-4, 6-3.
The 21-year-old is through to the fifth WTA 1000 final of her career, and third in 2025. AFP, REUTERS
