Cousins Rinderknech and Vacherot fall just short in Indian Wells doubles final after standout run

The doubles run of cousins Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot at the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells came to an end in the final on Saturday as they fell 7-6(3), 6-3 to Guido Andreozzi and Manuel Guinard at Indian Wells. For Andreozzi and Guinard, the victory represents the biggest title of their careers and their first ATP Masters 1000 triumph as a team.

Rinderknech and Vacherot had emerged as one of the surprise stories of the tournament. Both players are primarily known for their singles careers, yet their partnership proved highly effective throughout the week as they navigated a demanding draw and defeated several established opponents.

The final itself remained competitive for much of the opening set. Both teams held serve consistently, with Rinderknech and Vacherot matching their opponents in rallies and at the net. The cousins came closest to breaking through midway through the set when they created a set point on return at 5-4.

That opportunity ultimately proved decisive. Andreozzi and Guinard saved the chance before forcing a tiebreak, where they quickly established control. The momentum carried into the second set, where they secured the only break of the match to close out the victory in straight sets.

The first set unfolded as a tightly contested battle between two teams competing in their first Masters 1000 final. Service games were generally comfortable on both sides, with neither pair managing to apply sustained pressure early in the match. Rinderknech and Vacherot appeared closest to taking control when they earned a set point while returning at 5-4. Converting that chance could have changed the dynamic of the final and forced Andreozzi and Guinard onto the defensive.

Instead, the Argentine-French duo held firm. After saving the set point, they pushed the set into a tiebreak and quickly took command, winning it 7-3. From that moment, they maintained composure and capitalised on their momentum to secure the decisive break in the second set.

Following the victory, Andreozzi highlighted the importance of the title and the progress the partnership had made over the past year. "I'm so, so happy to win this amazing tournament. I'm so proud of our journey since last year and so happy that all the hard work has paid off."

Guinard also acknowledged the challenge of facing Rinderknech and Vacherot in such a high-profile match. "They played doubles in college so I knew it would be a dangerous match. We had to prepare to play with the pressure because it's the first Masters 1000 final for Guido and me."

Despite the defeat in the final, the path taken by Rinderknech and Vacherot during the week stood out as one of the most notable doubles campaigns of the tournament. The cousins produced several impressive wins against teams composed of leading singles players.

Among the opponents they defeated were Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, and Daniil Medvedev and Learner Tien. Those victories helped establish the pair as one of the surprise contenders in the draw.

They also overcame experienced doubles specialists Andre Goransson and Yuki Bhambri, further demonstrating their ability to adapt to different styles of opposition. Their natural understanding as cousins, combined with prior doubles experience in the American college system, proved an important factor throughout the week.

Their appearance in the Indian Wells final also revived memories of another unusual chapter involving the pair at the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters. On that occasion, both players advanced through the singles draw to reach the championship match, an extremely rare scenario at Masters 1000 level.

Vacherot ultimately defeated Rinderknech to win the title in Shanghai, lifting the trophy as world No. 204 and becoming the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in history. Their doubles run in Indian Wells now adds another chapter to the unlikely sporting connection between the two cousins.