Andy Roddick pinpoints what Valentin Vacherot did in Shanghai which people haven’t talked about enough

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Valentin Vacherot made history in Shanghai earlier this year, coming through qualifying to take the title.

Travelling to Shanghai as the world number 204, Vacherot beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final to win his first-ever ATP title.

The Monegasque star followed up his win in Shanghai with a run to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters, suggesting he is very much here to stay.

As Vacherot now looks ahead to his 2026 season, tennis legend Andy Roddick has reflected upon his unlikely triumph in China.

Andy Roddick says Valentin Vacherot taught the tennis world a valuable lesson in Shanghai

During the latest episode of ‘Served with Andy Roddick‘, the 2003 US Open champion gave his verdict on Vacherot’s Shanghai Masters campaign.

“Two things that need to be said about Vacherot,” said Roddick.

“Not just the 204 [ranking] and how crazy it was, I think we all have a general understanding of that. The amount of time that he put in that week, the field that he went through.

“Do we remember that Jannik [Sinner] had to retire because of cramps, the first three days of that tournament, all you heard of was how extreme the conditions were, so hot.

“This guy, and this is a lesson for young players, for parents, for anyone that has anything to do with tennis, had he not been ready, physically, in shape, he would not have had this moment.

Valentin Vacherot at the 2025 Shanghai Masters

• 2025 Shanghai Masters Q1 [WIN] vs Nishesh Basavareddy
• 2025 Shanghai Masters Q2 [WIN] vs Liam Draxl
• 2025 Shanghai Masters 1R [WIN] vs Laslo Djere
• 2025 Shanghai Masters 2R [WIN] vs Alexander Bublik
• 2025 Shanghai Masters 3R [WIN] vs Tomas Machac
• 2025 Shanghai Masters 4R [WIN] vs Tallon Griekspoor
• 2025 Shanghai Masters QF [WIN] vs Holger Rune
• 2025 Shanghai Masters SF [WIN] vs Novak Djokovic
• 2025 Shanghai Masters F [WIN] vs Arthur Rinderknech

“Tennis is one thing, preparation meets opportunity; you’d better be prepared when the opportunity presents itself.

“That has not been talked about enough.”

Roddick was keen to give credit to Vacherot, who finally made his ATP Tour breakthrough at 26.

“Going through qualifying, it was a million degrees in Shanghai, the fact that this guy had taken his lumps, I think he lost to someone outside the top 800 in the previous three months before he did this,” he said.

• August 2025 [LOSS] vs (874) Jay Dylan Hara Friend

“To keep the motivation, and be professional and keep yourself in shape enough to rip off 10 days or 14 days of tennis at the highest level is an undersold part of this story.”

The question now is what’s next for Vacherot?

What can Valentin Vacherot achieve in 2026?

Heading into the Australian Open, Vacherot will be a top-32 seed, meaning he’ll avoid his fellow seeds in the first few rounds.

Snapshot of the ATP Rankings

Vacherot will have a golden opportunity to pick up his first career Grand Slam main draw win in January, having lost in qualifying at three of the four majors this year.

Moving on from Australia, Vacherot will gain entry into any ATP tournament he wants for most of the year, until his points drop from Shanghai.

That will give him a leg up on his rivals, as he can climb the rankings while others defend points during the season.

Whether he can carry his late-season form over to the new year remains to be seen, but it will definitely be something to look out for.

Vacherot will contest his first-ever main draw match at the Australian Open when the tournament begins on Sunday, January 18.