ATP Tour

World No. 204 Vacherot stuns ailing Djokovic in Shanghai SF, makes M1000 history

Valentin Vacherot’s seismic breakthrough at the Rolex Shanghai Masters is not over yet. The Monegasque qualifier sank record four-time champion Novak Djokovic in stunning fashion Sunday to reach the championship match.

The No. 204 player in the PIF ATP Rankings prevailed 6-3, 6-4 against Djokovic to become the lowest-ranked finalist in ATP Masters 1000 history (since 1990). Vacherot remained cool and composed throughout to capitalise expertly on the physical struggles of Djokovic, who twice received treatment from the physio on his lower back in the opening set.

Never stop believing 🤩

World No. 204 @val_vacherot defeats Djokovic to become the lowest ranked ATP Masters 1000 finalist in history.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/ha32DUf8Sc

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 11, 2025

Vacherot won 78 per cent (28/36) of points behind his first serve en route to the biggest win of his career against the World No. 5 Djokovic. Having not been in qualifying when the entry list first came out, the 26-year-old will on Sunday take on his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, for the trophy.

Vacherot, who ensured he will rise into the Top 100 for the first time on Monday by defeating Holger Rune in the quarter-finals, has now risen 146 spots to No. 58 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Shanghai run. His career-high, reached last June, is No. 110. The former college tennis player at Texas A&M University is just the sixth player this century to reach his first ATP Tour final at a Masters 1000 event, and the first to accomplish the feat since Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

“I’m not realising [what’s happened], so I can’t give any words on it,” said Vacherot. “This is just crazy. First of all, to just be on the other side of the court [from Novak] was an unbelievable experience. I think I’ve got so much to learn from this match, from him. Even for myself, I’ve got a lot to keep.

“It was an hour and 40 minutes of pure joy, even though not many people wanted me to keep going. He’s really appreciated here. He has won four times. I got a bit lost in all his titles when they were announcing him, but it was an unreal experience. Now I’m probably just going to enjoy the win tonight and think about the final tomorrow.”

Vacherot was seemingly unaffected by nerves throughout his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Djokovic, even as the Serbian’s physical struggles played out across the net. He struck 23 winners to his opponent’s nine and did not blink when break point down in the final game, in which he closed out victory before receiving words of encouragement from Djokovic as the pair embraced at the net.

Although Djokovic typically dug deep to push Vacherot even as he struggled with his body, the former World No. 1 was unable to produce another remarkable victory at a tournament where he has visibly struggled in the hot and humid conditions. Djokovic received treatment on his lower back at 3-4 in the opening set, and he was immediately broken in the next game, during which he moved gingerly.

Vacherot’s job was far from done, however, and with Djokovic appearing to move more freely in the second set, the Monegasque ensured he took care of his own game to seal his win. He was solid with his groundstrokes off both wings and made his move on return in the ninth game.

The Monegasque player won 44 per cent of his return points overall according to Infosys ATP Stats and broke serve three times from six chances.

Did You Know?
Before Vacherot's dream tournament, the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 finalist was Andrei Pavel, who was World No. 191 when he made the 2003 Rolex Paris Masters final. Tim Henman defeated the Romanian in a final-set tie-break for the trophy.