Djokovic falls to Vacherot, who makes history by reaching his first Masters 1000 final

Shanghai (China). – Serbian Novak Djokovic could not stop the momentum of Monegasque Valentin Vacherot, who defeated him by 6-3 and 6-4 in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters 1000, thus advancing to the first ATP final of his career

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Djokovic, who showed signs of physical discomfort during the match, was surpassed by the intensity and confidence of the Monegasque player, number 204 in the world ranking, who started as a substitute in the qualifying phase of the tournament. The triumph makes Vacherot the first Monegasque tennis player to reach the final of a Masters 1000, and one of the most surprising cases on the circuit in recent years. With this performance, he will climb to 58th place in the ranking, the best of his career.

“I am not aware of what has happened. It's crazy,” confessed an emotional Vacherot after his victory. “Being on the other side of the court against Novak was an incredible experience. I have a lot to learn from him and also a lot to remember from this moment.”

The 26-year-old tennis player will compete for the title this Sunday against the winner of the match between his cousin, the French player Arthur Rinderknech, and the Russian Daniil Medvedev. Vacherot thus becomes the sixth player of this century to reach his first ATP final in a Masters 1000, following in the footsteps of the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich in Monte Carlo 2022. The Monegasque acknowledged that the atmosphere in the stadium was mostly on Djokovic's side, a four-time champion in Shanghai:

"It was an hour and 40 minutes of pure joy, although many people didn't want it to continue. They were with Novak, and I understand. But it was an unforgettable experience. Now I just want to enjoy tonight and think about tomorrow's final."