"He reminds me of Gaël Monfils": Mouratoglou reveals his biggest surprise of 2025
By extending his stay in China to attempt the Rolex Shanghai Masters qualifiers, Valentin Vacherot delivered one of the biggest surprises of the decade.
Indeed, in the main draw, he eliminated Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, and even the legend Novak Djokovic to win a historic final against his cousin Arthur Rinderknech.
Thus, the Monegasque secured his first ATP title, a Masters 1000, before entering the world's top 30.
Mouratoglou: "It was a real fairy tale"
That is why Patrick Mouratoglou, former coach of Serena Williams, did not hesitate to name Valentin Vacherot as his absolute surprise of the season.
"From world number 267 to number 31 thanks to a Masters 1000 victory, it was a real fairy tale.
This shows that the difference between number 300 and number 20 is not as great as you might think. So, thanks to his confidence, Vacherot transformed his entire game."
"He reminds me of Gaël Monfils"
Finally, the 55-year-old man goes even further:
"He reminds me of Gaël Monfils as a junior, when he started winning.
Because one day, he told me: 'I understand something. I have everything it takes to compete with the best.' Valentin seems to have had that breakthrough. And when that happens, the trajectory changes forever.
He concludes: "He must ride this incredible wave. When he plays freely, without pressure, he has a top 10 level... What a story. What a rise. What a lesson."
As a laboratory for tomorrow’s tennis, does the Next Gen Masters have a future? 
Tennis: the little-known truths about the offseason, between rest, stress and physical survival 
What if tennis lost its soul? The case of robotized officiating, between tradition and a dehumanized modernity 
Features - Saudi Arabia, injuries, war, and business: the fascinating underbelly of tennis revealed by TennisTemple 
