Vacherot, from not leaving Challengers to reaching Masters 1000 quarterfinals: "This is the reward for everything I have suffered"

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Who would have told Valentin Vacherot three weeks ago, after falling in the first round of the Saint-Tropez Challenger against a wildcard ranked 317th in the world like Robin Bertrand (4-6, 6-3, 3-6), that he would be among the top eight tennis players in a Masters 1000 event just 21 days later.

Tennis is an inexplicable sport when these kinds of things happen. Valentin Vacherot arrived at ATP Shanghai 2025 to compete in the qualifying rounds as the 204th ranked ATP player. Not only did he manage to secure his fourth Masters 1000 main draw after defeating Nishesh Basavareddy and Liam Draxl, his first without needing a wildcard, but along the way, he eliminated three consecutive seeds: Alexander Bublik (3-6, 6-3, 6-4), Tomas Machac (6-0, 3-1), and Tallon Griekspoor (4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4).

An unforgettable week for Valentin Vacherot at ATP Shanghai 2025

"It means a lot to me. I don't think I was aware of what I was doing throughout the week, and I realized it when I won this match. I've been happy all week, but not euphoric, and this is incredible," said the 26-year-old player after becoming the first tennis player from his country to reach the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event.

"I get very emotional when I think about the difficult moments I went through last year, and even this year. Being able to share this with my coach, my brother, and my girlfriend is incredible, and right now I'm living one of the best moments of my life," confessed Vacherot, who has already climbed to 130th place in the ATP rankings and if he manages to defeat Holger Rune, he would enter the Top 100, specifically as number 92.

Joy for Vacherot after a 2024 marked by injuries and a very irregular 2025

However, it has not been an easy year for the Monegasque, whose highlight of the season was his victory against JL Struff in the first round of the Masters 1000 in Montecarlo in front of his home crowd. But since then, inconsistency and his presence in Challengers have been constant, even being close to an injury in the qualifying rounds of Wimbledon, where a slip forced him to retire with a score of 6-4, 5-4 in his favor, just a few points away from victory. This reminded him of the injury suffered in the qualifying rounds of the US Open in 2024, which kept him sidelined for six months.

"This is 100% the reward for being sidelined for six months last year. Fortunately, I was able to play pain-free since January. It was amazing, and now this is the reward for all that I have endured," pointed out the Monegasque, who has four Challenger titles to his name (one in 2022 and three in 2024).

Now, in his semi-final match against Holger Rune, he has the opportunity to prolong an already unique experience and once again demonstrate the resilience, hope, and determination of Valentin Vacherot, who, despite struggling to find consistency in the Challenger circuit, is enjoying a week he will never forget at the ATP Shanghai.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Vacherot, de no salir de Challengers a unos cuartos de Masters 1000: "Esto es la recompensa por todo lo que he sufrido"