Throughout this year's Rolex Shanghai Masters Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot have been cheering on each other as they have made their way through six rounds in the main draw.
On Sunday, the cousins will find themselves on the opposite sides of the net at the Qizhong Tennis Center squaring off in their biggest career pro final in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
In their only previous meeting on the pro circuit in July 2018 Rinderknech defeated Vacherot 6-2, 6-4, in the quarter-finals at the France #13 Futures in Ajaccio on Corsica Island. Both players were in the early stages of gaining valuable ATP ranking points in the entry level of pro tennis. At the time Rinderknech was ranked No. 866 and Vacherot No. 1,357.
Both players have each defeated five seeds en route to the championship and both have beaten a Top 5 seed along the way. Rinderknech defeated No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the third round while Vacherot eliminated four-time Shanghai champion No. 4 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
The winner on Sunday will earn 1,000 PIF ATP Ranking points and $1,124,380 while the finalist collects 650 ranking points and
$597,890. Coming into Shanghai, Rinderknech earned $1,310,611 this season while Vacherot will more than double his career earnings of $594,077 regardless of the final result.
* Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) vs [Q] Valentin Vacherot (MON) -- First Meeting on ATP Tour (Previous meeting: 2018 France #13 Futures QF - Ajaccio, Rinderknech 6-2 6-4)
Rinderknech is appearing in his first ATP Masters 1000 final and second overall ATP Tour final. His previous final came in Adelaide in January 2022 when he lost to Thanasi Kokkinakis. He has a 6-2 record in Shanghai after wins over Hamad Medjedovic 6-7(3) 1-0 Ret., No. 28 seed Alex Michelsen 6-3 6-4, No. 3 Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-3 6-2, No. 15 Jiri Lehecka 6-3 7-6(5), No. 12 Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 6-4 and No. 16 Daniil Medvedev 4-6 6-2 6-4. Has only been broken four times, holding 61 of 65 service games (94%), saving 29 of 33 break pts. (88%). The 30-year-old Frenchman is 26-25 on the season (14-14 on hard, 6-7 on clay, 6-4 on grass) with his previos best results the semi-finals in Kitzbuhel (l. to Cazaux) and the quarter-finals at London/Queen's Club (as a qualifier) where he defeated Opelka and Shelton before losing to eventual champion Alcaraz. Also lost to Alcaraz in 4R at US Open, his best career Grand Slam result. Came in ranked No. 54 and will return to the Top 50 next Monday at a career-high No. 28 for the first time since January 2023. If he wins the title, will move to No. 22. Has an 8-3 record vs. Top 20 opponents since June after going 6-26 in career prior to June this year with two wins over Zverev (here and Wimbledon), No. 10 Shelton in 1R at London/Queen's Club, No. 15 Lehecka in the fourth round and No. 16 Medvedev in the semi-finals. He was the No. 7 Frenchman coming into Shanghai and will move to No. 2 behind No. 25 Ugo Humbert (will be No. 1 if wins title).
Vacherot is appearing in his first ATP Tour final and he's the lowest-ranked finalist (No. 204) in tournament history and ATP Masters 1000 history (since 1990). He has climbed to No. 58 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings (will go to No. 40 if wins title) and he is the first player born in Monaco to break the Top 100 in ATP Rankings history (since 1973). He qualified with two three-set wins from a set down and posted main draw wins over Laslo Djere 6-3 6-4, No. 14 seed Alexander Bublik 3-6 6-3 6-4, No. 20 Tomas Machac 6-0 3-1 Ret. (right knee), No. 27 Tallon Griekspoor 4-6 7-6(1) 6-4, No. 11 Holger Rune 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 and No. 4 Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4. The win over No. 5-ranked Djokovic was his best career win. He is the first player from Monaco to reach a QF, SF and final in an ATP Tour tournament. He and his cousin Arthur Rinderknech were former teammates at Texas A&M University for two and a-half years from 2016-17 and 2018. He achieved a career-high ranking No. 110 in June 2024 after 15-0 start to the season on Challenger level but a right shoulder injury forced him to only play two tournaments in the last seven months of the years. He is coached by former Monegasque player and half-brother Benjamin Balleret, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 204 in 2006.
