Family ties will take a back seat in Paris on Wednesday as Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech prepare to face off in the Paris Masters second round, just weeks after clashing in the Shanghai Masters final.
Vacherot, who stunned Rinderknech in Shanghai to become the first Monegasque player ever to win an ATP title, continued his fairytale run on Tuesday with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory over 14th seed Jiri Lehecka.
“I’m living a fairytale… that’s why I’m playing so well. I’m enjoying every second,” said the 25-year-old, who made history as the lowest-ranked player (No. 204) to ever win a Masters 1000 title.
Rinderknech, who earned a wildcard entry into his home tournament, booked his spot in the second round by edging Fabian Marozsan 7-6(5),
7-6(4) on Monday.
“This time I’m the first one to play and he has to follow suit,” joked Rinderknech. “I prefer it this way — Shanghai was tiring.”
Despite their on-court rivalry, there’s nothing but mutual respect between the cousins.
“It was such a tough match against Fabian,” Vacherot said. “I’m just so excited for the crowd, for the family. We’re going to enjoy this match so much — once again.”
A Fairytale That Began in Shanghai
World number 204 Valentin Vacherot completed an incredible fairytale run at the Shanghai Masters, defeating his cousin Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to claim his first Masters 1000 title.
The final marked only the third ATP Masters 1000 final in history featuring two unseeded players, underscoring the sheer unpredictability of the tournament.
The Monégasque qualifier became the lowest-ranked player ever to win a Masters 1000, cementing his place in tennis history — a moment his coach and half-brother Benjamin Balleret called “a fairytale.”
The fairytale victory rocketed Vacherot from world No. 204 to No. 40, a career-high ranking and a 164-spot jump, one of the largest in Masters history.
Not to forget (the sweetest prize of them all), he also earned $1.12 million in prize money, nearly doubling his entire career earnings in one week.
(with Reuters inputs)
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-176181504006037871.webp)
