The last two Masters events in the men’s and women’s draws produced quality tennis—and one more-than-rare shocker, as a player outside the ATP top 200 ran the table, while Coco Gauff confirmed her strong current form by lifting the Wuhan trophy. For fans who tracked the swings and momentum through platforms like Merkur XTip, the drama went well beyond the baseline.
Vacherot Delivers the Sensation of the Season
Saturday’s semifinals in Shanghai told two very different stories with a shared headline: Valentin Vacherot. He had already become a central figure earlier in the week, but after the semifinal it was clear the Monaco man could actually win the title.
As world No. 204, Vacherot stunned Novak Djokovic 6–3, 6–4. Djokovic grabbed an early break, only for the Monegasque to answer right back; then, in the seventh game of set one, it became apparent Novak’s left leg was troubling him. A medical timeout followed, then stretches where the Serbian star “hung on with his teeth” to keep pace, yet without real looks on return. The key break of set two arrived at 4–4—helped by two double faults and Vacherot’s composure in the clutch. He then snuffed out Novak’s late push in the final game, converted his second match point, and booked a historic final.
The other semi turned into a marathon with a French twist. Arthur Rinderknech, after dropping the first set, wore down Daniil Medvedev 4–6, 6–2, 6–4. Medvedev seized control with an early break and coasted through the opener, but Rinderknech hit back with a quick break and airtight service games (he saved five break points in set two). In the decider, the Russian squandered three break points (in the fifth and seventh games) and paid for it in the tenth—double-faulting on match point. Thus the world No. 52 set up a “family” final with his cousin.
Sunday’s final delivered the season’s biggest fairy tale—exactly the kind of twist many bettors secretly hoped for. After losing the first set, Vacherot rallied past Rinderknech 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 to become the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in history (previous mark: Borna Ćorić at No. 152 in Cincinnati 2022). The pivotal break of set two came in the eighth game; in the third, the Monegasque struck early and kept control while Rinderknech struggled with his back and called for treatment. Driving the exchanges with forehand tempo, Vacherot closed it out while dropping only two points on serve in the final set. Coming through qualifying and a run that eliminated Djere, Bublik, Machac, Griekspoor and Rune, he vaulted to a projected No. 40 and capped a week bound for the record books.
Coco Gauff’s Second Title of the Year
In Wuhan’s semifinals, Jessica Pegula halted Aryna Sabalenka and her perfect 20–0 record at this WTA stop. Though she started slowly and lost the first set 2–6, the No. 6 seed found rhythm 6–4 in the second, then clawed back from 2–5 in the decider. Sabalenka served for the match at 5–3 and stood two points from victory, but Pegula’s deep returns and tempo changes forced errors, got the break back, and leveled to 5–5. At 5–5, Sabalenka rallied from 0–40 to deuce, only to miss a forehand after a grueling exchange and spike her racquet. Pegula turned that break into a chance to serve it out, yet she squandered two match points (one with a double fault), before Sabalenka dragged the set into a tiebreak with a 16-point marathon hold. There, the American “reset” everything—exactly as many live-bettors would have argued—slipping in a disguised backhand drop shot for 3–1, then stretching the lead with a deep forehand return to seal a 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(2) win, her first over Sabalenka after four straight losses this season.
In the other semifinal, Coco Gauff snapped her losing streak to Jasmine Paolini. After three defeats to the Italian this year, the No. 3 seed prevailed 6–4, 6–3. The match began with five straight holds, then turned into a rarity: 11 consecutive breaks, with Gauff handling the “serve collapse” on both sides a bit better. Serving for 6–4 at 5–3 in set one, Gauff dropped a love game, immediately broke back with a deep, central return, and converted the set point after a Paolini backhand miss. In set two, Paolini squandered three chances to consolidate an early break (including game points at 1–0 and 2–1), opening the door for Gauff to sweep the last four games and finish with a backhand volley after a backhand drop-shot approach.
The all-American final brought a firm Gauff start (4–1), a Pegula surge, and then a decisive break in the tenth game for 6–4 as a string of unforced errors from the No. 6 seed proved costly. In set two, Pegula raced to 3–0 with a double break; Gauff grabbed both back, Pegula broke again and consolidated for 5–3. Instead of the third set many live-bettors anticipated, Gauff ripped through a 10-point burst, mixing heavy spin and selective aggression, broke back, and at 6–5, 30–30 Pegula pushed a forehand volley into open court and missed. On match point, Gauff passed with a running forehand to complete a 6–4, 7–5 victory. She became the first woman in history to start a career 9–0 in hard-court finals, lifted her third WTA 1000 title, and did not drop a set all week in Wuhan.
