ATP Tour

Vacherot ahead of Djokovic clash in Paris: 'My season could be over, I'm giving 100%'

Valentin Vacherot may experience a feeling of déjà vu when he steps on court against Novak Djokovic on Tuesday afternoon at the Rolex Paris Masters.

In red-hot form after capturing the ATP 500 title in Basel on Sunday, Vacherot will now turn his attention to a popcorn first-round clash with Djokovic at the French ATP Masters 1000 event. Having stunned the Serbian en route to the Shanghai title 13 months ago, the Monegasque is ready to give everything as he brings his season towards its conclusion.

“It's my last tournament of the season,” Vacherot told ATPTour.com on Monday in Paris. “Technically, tomorrow night, my season could be over. I hope not, but it's good because I'm staying focused, giving it 100 per cent. And then it'll be vacation. I think it would be a bit harder to be fully focused for this one if I knew I had three or four more tournaments to play.

“But now this is the last one. I'm playing Djokovic in Paris, a one-hour flight from home. I can give it everything, and then I'll breathe afterwards.”

With only the top eight seeds receiving a first-round bye in Paris, seven-time champion Djokovic — who is seeded 10th — was always going to represent a formidable challenge for whoever drew him. The Serbian is also still hunting a place at the Nitto ATP Finals, adding further significance to his final event of the season.

For Vacherot, however, the prospect of a second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with the former World No. 1 was an added incentive rather than a distraction.

“I found out that I was playing Djokovic the evening after I won my Basel quarter-final, so it was already a good week to close one of the last few tournaments of the year,” Vacherot said of the Paris draw, which was made Friday. “I was pushing to reach the semi-finals in Basel and it was more of a cherry on top, saying, ‘Okay, next tournament I have Djokovic in the first round’, and now even more so with the title.”

On Tuesday, Vacherot will take a five-match tour-level winning streak into his clash with Djokovic, just as he did before their meeting in Shanghai last year. On that occasion, the then-No. 204-ranked qualifier stunned the Serbian in the semi-finals before going on to lift the trophy, becoming the lowest-ranked champion in ATP Masters 1000 history.

Watch Vacherot vs. Djokovic Highlights:

Vacherot is now a very different player to the one who made headlines in Shanghai. The Monegasque has established himself inside the Top 40 of the PIF ATP Rankings and has remained in that group ever since breaking through following his memorable run in China.

“It's going to be a totally different match,” Vacherot said. “It was more surreal back then to play Novak. For me to be in a semi-final in Shanghai and play him, everything was just surreal. Beating him was just insane. It’s going to be more of a ‘normal’ match since I've been in the Top 40 for a year now.

“He's still at the top, of course, so it's not going to be like any other match. It's tough to say that against Novak, who's the most decorated player of all time. So I just want to put on a good show and have a great match. The stadium is going to be packed. I loved playing here last year and it's just going to be so fun.”

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Shanghai was not the only place Vacherot made an ATP Masters 1000 statement last year. The Monegasque also reached the quarter-finals in Paris on his debut in 2025, and will be hoping to produce another memorable performance on Tuesday. With his half-brother and coach Benjamin Balleret in his corner, Vacherot will look to build on the lessons of Shanghai, although he knows the challenge of facing Djokovic is never straightforward.

“I'm still enjoying yesterday's title,” Vacherot said when asked about his approach to the match. “I think I'll really get into the tournament tonight or tomorrow morning to get ready. But first, it's always tough against Novak. I try to just focus on myself, look at the other side of the net and then see what I can do.”