PREVIEW Shanghai Masters Final: A family fairytale — cousins Vacherot and Rinderknech meet for Masters 1000 glory

A surprising final will take place at the Shanghai Masters, between the two biggest surprises of the tournament, Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech—both in their first Masters 1000 final. On a path where both constantly delivered upsets, Vacherot eliminated the 4-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets, while Rinderknech came back from a set down against the 2019 Shanghai Masters champion Daniil Medvedev.

It will be an emotional final, not only for having two first-time finalists in a Masters 1000 but also because they are cousins. An incredible story unfolded in Shanghai, in one of the most unexpected finals ever witnessed at a tournament of this level.

It will be the first time an ATP final is contested between cousins, and both are two players seeking their first professional title on this occasion, and none other than at a Masters 1000.

Arthur Rinderknech has secured his spot in the Shanghai Masters 1000 final after completing a spectacular tournament in which he has knocked out some of the main favorites. The Frenchman started the tournament as World No. 54 and has already reached World No. 28—which will be his debut in the Top 30.

His first surprise came in the third round when the Frenchman rallied to defeat the World No. 3, Alexander Zverev. The unexpected progress of the Frenchman continued with victories over Lehečka and Auger-Aliassime before taking down Medvedev in the semifinals. As happened in the duel against Zverev, Rinderknech once again reversed the score, defeating the Russian with almost fifty winners (6-4, 2-6, 4-6).

“In the best dreams, we couldn't have dreamt about this, so I can't even say it's a dream, because I don't think even one person in our family dreamt about it,” Rinderknech said. “So it wasn't a dream, it's just a dream that came out of nowhere. We started believing it, I would say, in the quarters, maybe…”

“Now we are here, we fought through so many matches and somehow we are the [two] guys standing at the end, so it's just incredible.”

If Rinderknech's presence in the final is surprising, that of his cousin, Valentin Vacherot, is even more so. The Monegasque player, who had to play the qualifying rounds, has snuck into the final round of the tournament after eliminating great players like Bublik, Griekspoor, and Rune, and achieved the most special victory of his career in the semifinals. The World No. 204 reached the final after defeating 4-time tournament champion Novak Djokovic.

The Serb was surprised by Vacherot in a match where physical problems in his hip and leg, along with the malaise that has accompanied him all week due to the heat and high humidity in Shanghai, lethally hampered him. These discomforts prevented him from competing against Vacherot, who dispatched the match in two sets (3-6, 4-6). The Monegasque has made history by becoming the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 finalist ever.

Vacherot started the tournament as World No. 204, but has already climbed into the Top 60 thanks to the 670 points he earned this week—nearly 70% of the points he will have at the end of the tournament will be thanks to his performance in Shanghai, and he could reach the Top 40 if he wins the title.

“I’m not realising [what’s happened], so I can’t give any words on it,” said Vacherot. “This is just crazy. First of all, to just be on the other side of the court [from Novak] was an unbelievable experience. I think I’ve got so much to learn from this match, from him. Even for myself, I’ve got a lot to keep.”