24-time Grand Slam title winner Novak Djokovic suffered a straight sets 6-3, 6-4 defeat against Monaco’s world No. 204 player Valentin Vacherot at the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters’ semi-final. Ahead of the contest, Djokovic was expected to have a cakewalk but when it went ahead, the Serbian legend started trailing against his opponent. After losing the first set, Djokovic was expected to show fighting spirit and snatch the momentum but Vacherot stood tall in the second set as well and created history with his performance. Vacherot couldn’t believe what he pulled off. The 26-year-old was in disbelief after his triumph against the prominent tennis figure.
Vacherot talked about how it was an unimaginable experience for him. He said, “Is this real?
I don’t know. To have Novak on the other side of the court was, first of all, an unbelievable experience for me,” remarked Vacherot after the contest. The Monegasque player was surprised on his triumph but in the game, he displayed composure and skills to get the better of Djokovic.
Valentin Vacherot: A tennis star emerged from nowhere?
Valentin Vacherot was born in 1998 and his journey with tennis kicked off when he was a child. He played the sport at Texas A&M University. He made his ATP Tour debut at ATP 1000 Monte Carlo Masters in 2023, recording a defeat against Nardi in the first round. In 2024, he made his Grand Slam debut with his appearance at the French Open. With his appearance at Roland Garros, he became the first player from the Monegasque Tennis Federation to reach the main draw.
Vacherot has trained under his half-brother Benjamin Balleret, who is the son of former tennis players Bernard Balleret and Alexia Dechaume-Bellaret. Valentin is also related to Arthur Rinderknech, a former US Open pre-quarterfinalist. Valentin and Arthur are cousins, who are going to contest in the final of the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, October 12. These relations reveal that his connection with tennis started a long ago.