Jun 6, 2025; Paris, FR; Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts to a point during his match against Jannik Sinner of Italy on day 13 at Roland Garros Stadium.

tennis

Valentin Vacherot Stuns Novak Djokovic to Keep Fairytale Run Going in ATP Shanghai Masters 2025 Semifinal

26-year-old reaches maiden Masters-1000 final.

Jun 6, 2025; Paris, FR; Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts to a point during his match against Jannik Sinner of Italy on day 13 at Roland Garros Stadium.

Monegasque qualifier Valentin Vacherot continued his unimaginable run at the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters, as he scored a seismic upset over 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. The 26-year-old remained determined against an ailing Djokovic, and completed a 6-3 6-4 win in 1 hour and 42 minutes. He awaits the winner of Daniil Medvedev vs Arthur Rinderknech in the final on Sunday.

THE FAIRYTALE OF SHANGHAI ✨

World No. 204 @val_vacherot defeats Djokovic 6-3 6-4 to become the lowest ranked Masters 1000 finalist EVER!!#RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/eY9e4Wn73u
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 11, 2025

It has been a breakthrough tournament for the World No. 204, who entered the Shanghai Masters as a qualifier. He earned two come-from-behind victories to reach the main draw – which is where his real heroics began. Vacherot beat Laslo Djere in Round-1, before completing a shocking upset over No. 14 seed Alexander Bublik in the Round of 64. After carefully navigating his way through the draw, Vacherot’s last two victories against Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic have ensured that he steals all the headlines.

Interestingly enough, it could be a family affair in the Shanghai Masters final. Arthur Rinderknech, who is the cousin brother of Valentin Vacherot, is competing in the second semifinal of the day. He will be facing former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev – who will start as the firm favorite.

Valentin Vacherot Produces Jaw-Dropping Performance to Oust Novak Djokovic in Shanghai

Vacherot and Djokovic traded blows in the opening set, before the Serbian icon seemingly struggled with physical concerns. He received treatment on his lower back twice in the first set, before eventually losing 3-6. The giant from Monaco kept things simple by dominating proceedings from the baseline – winning 78% points on first serve and hitting 23 winners against 9 from Djokovic throughout the encounter.

Novak Djokovic and Valentin Vacherot had a beautiful moment at the net after their match in Shanghai

Novak: "You deserve it. You played unbelievable. Keep it going."

Valentin: "Such a pleasure to play at least once against you. Don't retire." 🥹

pic.twitter.com/k0WuGNq1Ou
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 11, 2025

In the second set, the four-time Shanghai champion came out with renewed energy. But with Vacherot seemingly unbothered in groundstroke exchanges, it was challenging for Djokovic to find an opening. At 4-4 in the second set, the qualifying alternate pulled out a scintillating return game to break and serve for the match. Despite facing a break point in the final game, Vacherot closed things out without further hiccups. Both players exchanged kind words of encouragement at the net, Djokovic’s dreams of another Masters-1000 trophy were shattered.

Valentin Vacherot after beating Novak Djokovic to reach Shanghai final:

"Just to be on the other side of the court was already an unbelievable experience. I've got so much to learn from this match, from him.. Even from myself, I've got a lot to give." 🥹
pic.twitter.com/Uc2PRscemQ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 11, 2025

Valentin Vacherot is now the lowest ranked finalist in ATP Masters-1000 history (since 1990). The qualifier is also the first player from Monaco to reach a tour-level summit clash at this level. Just the sixth man to reach his maiden career singles final at a Masters-1000 competition (first since Davidovich Fokina in Monte-Carlo 2022), the breakout star is currently No. 58 in the world as per the ATP Live Rankings.

(Image Credits: Susan Mullane, Imagn Images)

ATP

ATP 1000

Daniil Medvedev

Novak Djokovic

Rolex Shanghai Masters

Shanghai Masters 2025

Tennis

Valentin Vacherot

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.