What Valentin Vacherot did at the Swiss Indoors against Taylor Fritz should worry the ATP top 10

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Valentin Vacherot returned to ATP Tour action at the Swiss Indoors in Basel.

The Monegasque star stunned the tennis world recently when Vacherot won the Shanghai Masters as a qualifier.

Ranked 204th in the world before the tournament began, Vacherot defeated Novak Djokovic, Alexander Bublik, and Holger Rune in China.

Receiving a Wild Card into the main draw of the Swiss Indoors, Vacherot was drawn against Taylor Fritz in round one.

Despite leading by a set to love, Vacherot lost to Fritz, 6-4, 6-7, 5-7, as his nine-match winning run came to an end.

There were plenty of positive signs for Vacherot to take from the match; however, many of which may concern some of the best players in men’s tennis.

Valentin Vacherot proved he won’t be a one-hit wonder with performance vs Taylor Fritz

When Vacherot won the Shanghai title, some questioned whether he would be able to replicate the level he showed at future tournaments.

Those questions were surely answered in Basel, when the 26-year-old pushed world number four Fritz all the way.

Vacherot won the first set and had chances in the second before the American won the tiebreaker 7-6 [7-4].

Then, in the third, Vacherot fought back from a break down, but began to run out of steam during the latter stages, as Fritz secured the win.

Fritz was made to work hard for his spot in the second round, as once again, Vacherot shone against a top opponent.

No player in the top ten will want to face off against Vacherot any time soon, having seen his level over the past couple of weeks.

They certainly won’t want to see him in their draw at January’s Australian Open, a tournament he may enter without a seed next to his name.

There is still time, however, for Vacherot to become seeded before the Australian Open, as he currently sits 38th in the Live ATP Rankings.

Live ATP Rankings

• 32nd – Tomas Machac (1,445 points)
• 33rd – Alex Michelsen (1,440 points)
• 34th – Corentin Moutet (1,423 points)
• 35th – Arthur Fils (1,360 points)
• 36th – Grigor Dimitrov (1,330 points)
• 37th – Learner Tien (1,316 points)
• 38th – Valentin Vacherot (1,283 points)

162 points separate Vacherot and 32nd-placed Tomas Machac, who currently occupies the final seeded spot.

A gap Vacherot may well close down before the end of the season…

What’s next for Valentin Vacherot after defeat to Taylor Fritz?

Vacherot has been given a Wild Card to compete at the upcoming Paris Masters.

The 26-year-old will be making his debut at the event, in what will be just his ninth Masters 1000 appearance.

Vacherot hadn’t won a main draw match at a Masters 1000 event before the Monte-Carlo tournament began, but is now one of just six players to have won a title at the level in 2025

2025 Masters 1000 winners

• Indian Wells – Jack Draper
• Miami Open – Jakub Mensik
• Monte-Carlo Masters – Carlos Alcaraz
• Madrid Open – Casper Ruud
• Italian Open – Carlos Alcaraz (2)
• Canadian Open – Ben Shelton
• Cincinnati Open – Carlos Alcaraz (3)
• Shanghai Masters – Valentin Vacherot

He’ll no doubt have dreams of winning his second title in Paris, but will be well aware of the challenges that await him.

Both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are set to join the field in Bercy and are the clear favorites for the title.

In addition to that, Vacherot might not have the element of surprise anymore, as his rivals have seen how he plays and are more likely to set foot on court with a clear game plan on how to beat him.

Only time will tell if Vacherot can overcome the odds and make more history in Paris, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action when the tournament begins on Monday, October 27.