Valentin Vacherot has made a name for himself at the Shanghai Masters. World no. 204 entered the qualifying draw as an alternate and scored eight victories to arrange the title clash against his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech.
To make things even better, the Monegasque defeated injured Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-final, celebrating a notable victory and earning enough points to crackthe top-60 regardless of the final outcome.
Reflecting on beating Novak, Valentin admitted that what surprised him most was how well he handled the mental pressure of facing one of the sport's greatest champions.
Djokovic began strongly and secured a break in the first game of the duel. However, Vacherot responded immediately, pulling the break back a few minutes later and turning the match into a fierce contest of concentration and composure.
A qualifier stayed steady throughout, keeping his emotions under the surface and focusing on each point rather than the occasion. The Monegasque recognized the challenge of competing against a 38-year-old legend who continues to defy time.
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They exchanged kind words at the net, with Novak praising Valentin's tennis and attitude while backing him to chase the title. Vacherot never allowed the weight of the matchup to overwhelm him.
Each time distractions crept in, he redirected his thoughts toward execution, focusing on the next serve or exchange. That mental clarity became the foundation of one of the biggest shocks of the season, regardless Novak's physical shape.
The Monegasque lost serve at the beginning of the duel and faced only one break point in the remaining service games. He kept the pressure on the veteran and provided three breaks from six chances to emerge at the top in style.
Vacherot's poise under pressure earned him a pace in his firstMasters 1000 final and revealed the mindset of a player ready to belong on the sport's most notable stages.
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Whatever happens in the final, we will see him at Major tournaments in 2026, and no one will want to face him if he maintains this form.
"I'm surprised by how I handled it mentally. Novak immediately broke my serve, playing just as I thought he would. I was delighted to break back as quickly as possible. Then it became a battle.
We know Novak is 38 years old. It's already incredible what he is doing at that age, which is very tough for his body. The truth is, I had to stay focused. I had so many thoughts in my head, even when I had just won the first set and all.
Still, every time I had small thoughts, I simply attributed them to thinking about the next return I was going to make or the next serve I was going to execute," Valentin Vacherot said.
