Shanghai Masters: Novak Djokovic defeated by world no 204 Valentin Vacherot in semifinals

In the ongoing Shanghai Masters 2025, Novak Djokovic fought hard on Saturday (Oct 11) but couldn’t make it to the final of the tournament. The Olympic gold medalist in men’s singles lost in the semifinal of the ATP Masters 1000 event to world no. 204 Valentin Vacherot, who won the match 6-3, 6-4. The man from Monaco will now face either Daniil Medvedev or his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final on Sunday (Oct 12). The 26-year-old is now the lowest-ranked player ever to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final.

By reaching the semifinals, Vacherot had already secured a spot in the top 100 for the first time in his career. His current ranking has also jumped to no. 58 and a win in the final would push him into the top 50 of the rankings.

Also Read - Shanghai Masters: Unseeded Arthur Rinderknech ousts Felix Auger Aliassime to reach semis

Match Summary

Earlier in the match, Djokovic started on a strong note and break Vacherot in the first game, but the 26-year-old immediately broke back and took a 4-3 lead. After this, Djokovic took a medical timeout.

After the timeout, Vacherot then won two quick games to claim the first set. The second set began with a long 12-minute game that Djokovic won after saving two break points. However, a double fault from Djokovic later cost him his serve, giving Vacherot a 5-4 lead and helping him to secure the biggest win of his career.

Djokovic’s reaction after the match

“I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final,” Djokovic said after the match.

He further added that, “Going from qualifications, it's an amazing story. I told him at the net that he's had an amazing tournament, but more so, his attitude is very good, and his game was amazing as well. So it's all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals."