Valentin Vacherot achieves new feat, qualifying for Shanghai Masters semi-finals
Valentin Vacherot's Shanghai adventure continues © All rights reserved
The Monegasque’s dream is not over, having defeated Holger Rune in the quarter-finals today in Shanghai, in 3 sets 2-6 7-6 (4) 6-4. It was a remarkable performance, and he was unable to contain his emotions afterwards.
Another day, another victory in China for the Monegasque player, who won a three-hour-long battle against the Dane, seeded tenth. This latest prestigious scalp takes him through to the last four of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in his career.
Despite losing the first set in 45 minutes, the 26-year-old, ranked 204th in the world, fought hard to level the scores in the second set, which lasted an hour and a half. He won it in the tie-break, proving more solid on the key points, in particular with a few well-placed backhand passes.
Monegasque Valentin Vacherot takes first Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters win in front of ecstatic crowd
Top 100 guaranteed
The physical aspect made the difference at the end of the match. Holger Rune, despite hitting 49 winning shots, finally cracked, dropping his serve at 3-3 and suffering from cramp at the end. His opponent didn’t let his chance pass him by, thanks in particular to his first serve, which enabled him to stay a break ahead.
Valentin Vacherot est en demi-finales du Masters 1000 de Shanghai ! Nouvel exploit du Monégasque, 204e joueur mondial, qui renverse Holger Rune (2-6, 7-6, 6-4) #RolexShanghaiMasters #HomeOfTennis pic.twitter.com/O66I2f7aQn— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) October 9, 2025
“It’s unbelievable! The last win meant a lot already, but on this match point I had trouble not thinking about the top 100. I don’t even know what day it is, but I just want to get back out there and play in the semi-final!” he said on the court, as his coach and half-brother Benjamin Balleret looked on.
To reach the final, he will take on Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who beat Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-3 7-5. Valentin Vacherot is now just two victories away from the first major title in his career. But before he thinks about lifting the trophy, he can already enjoy a prize of a different kind. Next week, he will break into the top 100 on the ATP rankings for the first time, at least in 92nd place.