No one… literally no one, had Valentin Vacherot on their radar. You remember those graphics pre-tournament that analysts draw circles around “players to watch” ? H is name was nowhere near the fringes. Deep down, we all knew this qualifier, who was ranked 204 in the world, would appear, possibly win a match or two, soak up some experience, and quietly slip away as the main show continued. Instead, he hijacked the script and, in front of his hero, no less, in Shanghai.

First, he took down Novak Djokovic, yes, that Novak, owner of 24 Grand Slam titles, in the semifinal. And as if that wasn’t wild enough, he faced his own cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, ranked 54th, in the final. Sounds like a family affair, right? Almost. After dropping the first set, Vacherot flipped the script and too

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