**By the Numbers: Valentin Vacherot Defeats Novak Djokovic in Shanghai**
*By Rajdeep Saha | Oct 11, 2025, 11:48 pm*

Valentin Vacherot’s dream run at the Shanghai Masters continues as the Monegasque qualifier stunned four-time champion Novak Djokovic to reach the final. Ranked No. 204 in the ATP Rankings, Vacherot triumphed 6-3, 6-4, becoming the lowest-ranked finalist in ATP Masters 1000 history since the format’s inception in 1990.

### Rankings Surge and Records Made

Earlier in the tournament, Vacherot secured his first-ever Top 100 ATP ranking by defeating Holger Rune. Since then, he has surged an incredible 146 spots in the ATP Live Rankings. According to ATP statistics, Vacherot is only the sixth player this century to reach their first ATP Tour final at a Masters 1000 event, and the first since Alejandro Davidovich Fokina did so at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters.

### Crunching the Opta Stats

Vacherot made history as the first Monegasque player to reach an ATP-level final in the Open Era. At a ranking of 204, he is now the lowest-ranked player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final since Andrei Pavel, who reached the final while ranked 191st.

Additionally, Vacherot became the lowest-ranked opponent Djokovic has faced in an ATP-level semi-final, surpassing Joachim Johansson, who was ranked 193nd when facing Djokovic in Adelaide in 2007.

### Journey to the Final

Vacherot’s path to the final has been nothing short of remarkable:

– He began by defeating Nishesh Basavareddy in his first qualifying match.
– Next, he took down Liam Draxl during qualifying rounds.
– In the main draw’s Round of 128, he overcame Laslo Djere.
– In the Round of 64, Vacherot defeated 14th seed Alexander Bublik in a gripping three-set match.
– He then advanced past Tomas Machac in the Round of 32.
– Following that, 20th seed Tallon Griekspoor retired mid-match, allowing Vacherot to progress.
– Impressively, he continued by beating 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor, 10th seed Holger Rune, and finally 4th seed Novak Djokovic to book his spot in the final.

Valentin Vacherot’s breakthrough performance at the Shanghai Masters has not only rewritten records but also announced his arrival on the ATP Tour’s biggest stages. Fans and tennis enthusiasts will be eagerly watching to see if he can complete his stunning run by claiming the title.
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