Vacherot Shocks Djokovic in Shanghai: Dream Final with His Cousin!

Valentin Vacherot Shocks Novak Djokovic in Shanghai

In an unexpected turn at the Shanghai Masters, Valentin Vacherot achieved the most significant victory of his career by defeating a diminished Novak Djokovic with a score of 6-3, 6-4. This triumph secures him a place in the tournament final, where he will face his cousin. Vacherot, currently in the 204th position in the world ranking and hailing from Monaco, initially participated in the qualifying phase as a substitute. His performance this week has been exceptional, marking a milestone in his professional career.

Is this real? I don’t know. Having Novak on the other side of the court was, above all, an incredible experience for me.

Valentin Vacherot

The final promises to be a family affair, as Vacherot will face his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech. Rinderknech secured his place in the final after defeating Daniil Medvedev, seeded number 16, with a score of 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinal. Djokovic, visibly affected by a hip injury, struggled throughout the match. He requested a medical timeout after losing 4-3 in the first set, and only managed one point in the following two games.

It’s all about him. I wish him the best in the final, and the best player won today. Going from qualifying, it’s an incredible story. I told him at the net that he had an amazing tournament, but even more so his attitude is very good, and his game was also amazing.

Novak Djokovic

Vacherot has experience in college tennis, having played at Texas A&M University.