"Everyone wants to be Carlos, or Jannik, or Sabalenka but he is the guy to emulate": Andy Roddick hails inspirational Vacherot Shanghai run

In one of the most remarkable stories of the ATP season, cousins and former Texas A&M teammates Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech faced off in a Shanghai Masters 1000 final, creating a fairytale ending that no one could have scripted. Ranked 204 in the world and entering the tournament as a qualifying alternate, Vacherot defeated his cousin 4–6, 6–3, 6–3 to become the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in history, and the first player from Monaco to win an ATP title.

For tennis analyst Jon Wertheim, this match was the clear story of the year as him and Andy Roddick recounted their top 10 matches of the year on Served.

“I love this story. Remember when we were at Laver Cup recently? Vacherot was playing in Saint-Tropez and losing to a player outside the top 300. This is a guy who wasn’t even eligible for the U.S. Open qualifying draw,” Wertheim explained. “He goes to Asia—probably at great personal expense—and he has to qualify. He loses his first set in qualifying, then absolutely catches a gear. He beats Holger Rune. He beats Novak. And then he gets to the final.”

The drama was heightened by the fact that Rinderknech, on the other side of the net, was not only Vacherot’s cousin but also his former college teammate. “Not only did Vacherot win to complete the Cinderella story—it was a genuinely good match,” Wertheim said. “They even rematched a month later in Paris. This is one of my favourite tennis stories of the year—a parable about persistence, and about the randomness and beauty of tennis.”

For tennis legend Andy Roddick, the story of Vacherot’s triumph was also about preparation and resilience. “There are a couple of parts of this that haven’t been talked about enough,” he said. “First, the pure happenstance of Rinderknech making a Masters 1000 final during his own breakout year—and then playing his cousin ranked 204. It reminded me of when Andre Agassi talked about players cheering each other on, and then suddenly realizing you might have to face each other.”

Roddick emphasized the importance of preparation under extreme conditions. “It was brutal in Shanghai. Jannik Sinner had to retire because of cramps. The first few days, all anyone talked about was how extreme the heat was. If Vacherot hadn’t been ready physically, he wouldn’t have had this moment. Preparation meets opportunity. He’d lost to a guy outside the top 300—maybe even someone outside the top 800 earlier in the year—but he stayed motivated, professional, and in shape enough to compete for 10–14 days at the highest level. That part is undersold.”

Vacherot’s remarkable feat did not stop at the final. “Most of us, if we suddenly won a million bucks, we’re halfway down a bottle of Maker’s Mark on the flight home,” Roddick said. “But he goes to Basel, plays Taylor Fritz in the first round, and gives him a real match 7–5 in the third. Then he goes to Paris, beats his cousin again, wins more points, and finally loses to Félix Auger-Aliassime. Now he’s going to be seeded in Australia. This is a guy who wasn’t eligible for the previous major’s qualifying. Now he won’t play anyone ranked higher than him until the third round. This is the best of tennis.”

Roddick also noted the broader implications for the sport: “Everyone wants to be Carlos, or Jannik, or Sabalenka—but for a lot of players, Vacherot is the guy to emulate. He’s the inspiration.”

The story also highlighted the incredible sportsmanship and class of both players. “Both guys understood the moment. Total class acts,” Roddick said. “I can’t wait to see what happens next year. You build momentum and suddenly show up with expectations for the first time. I’m cheering for him. And I admired how prepared he was to execute on that moment.”

Remarkably, Vacherot and Rinderknech had never faced each other before, yet after Shanghai, Vacherot led their head-to-head 2–0, having won their rematch in Paris. “I’ve never lost to my cousin either, so there you go,” Roddick joked.