Unbelievable! No. 204 Vacherot Shocks Djokovic, Marches to Shanghai Masters Final

October 11, 2025

In a jaw-dropping tennis twist at the Shanghai Open 2025, Valentin Vacherot, ranked a humble No. 204 in the ATP, pulled off one of the sport's biggest shocks by beating the legendary Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4. The 26-year-old from Monaco showed nerves of steel and incredible skill to reach the final of the Shanghai Masters, thrilling fans worldwide.

Vacherot’s Extraordinary Journey to the Semifinals

Vacherot's path to glory started as an afterthought — he was just an alternate for the qualifiers! Suddenly, he got a last-minute chance and grabbed it with both hands. Winning two qualifying matches secured him a ticket to the main event. There, he didn't just make up numbers but took down top stars one by one, including the 14th seed Alexander Bublik, 20th seed Tomas Machac, and 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor. The quarterfinals saw an epic showdown where Vacherot edged out 10th seed Holger Rune in a tough three-setter, becoming the second-lowest ranked player ever to reach an ATP Masters 1000 semifinal. Talk about a Cinderella story!

Historic Win Against Djokovic

Facing Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, was a daunting test. Djokovic admitted he was struggling physically after tough matches and tough Shanghai weather, calling it "just trying to stay alive on the court." But Vacherot was relentless. With sharp serves, fierce baseline hits, and unwavering focus, he dispatched Djokovic in straight sets over one hour and 41 minutes, despite the hot and humid conditions. Djokovic needed treatment during the match but stood tall at the net, praising Vacherot, "You deserve it, you played unbelievable. Keep it going."

Vacherot, glowing with pride, said, "Thank you very much. It is such a pleasure to play at least once against you," showing how special this victory was.

Family Affair Awaits in the Final

The final promises to be a spicy family duel as Vacherot faces his cousin, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech! Both cousins have avidly followed each other’s wins and cheered from the stands, making this match a heartwarming sibling rivalry on the big stage. Rinderknech, also having a fantastic week, is set to jump into the top 30 rankings. Vacherot will enter the top 100 for the very first time. Rinderknech said, "He’s been incredible since the beginning of the week and the whole family is following from home. We are in a little world here of our own. It’s been incredible, it’s been unreal."

Vacherot’s Comeback Story

This stunning achievement is even sweeter because Vacherot spent six months out with injury earlier in the season. Reflecting on his rise, he said, "I didn’t even come as a qualifier, I came as an alternate. I wasn’t sure to even play the qualifier. Coming back from six months out is always not easy. You cannot just come back and win tournaments right and left. You’ve just got to fight your way through a little bit."

The win over Djokovic is already being hailed as Vacherot’s career-defining moment. From a low rank to giant-killer, he’s shown he can shake legends and write his own tennis fairy tale.