"It was monstrous!": Vacherot stunned by Auger-Aliassime in Paris

Beaten 6-2, 6-2 by an unplayable Félix Auger-Aliassime, Valentin Vacherot left Paris full of admiration. In the press conference, the Monegasque player described an opponent who was "impressive, monstrous, always on the ball" — a model he now hopes to match.

Valentin Vacherot's impressive run at the Rolex Paris Masters came to an end this Friday, as he was soundly defeated in the quarter-finals by Félix Auger-Aliassime (6-2, 6-2).

The Monegasque player, who will enter the top 30 on Monday, admitted in the press conference that he was impressed by his opponent's level of play:

"I was completely impressed. I am partly responsible for some of the games. But at one point I was asking my team: 'Did I win a single point on his serve or not?' When he made contact with the ball on the return, it was landing 50 centimeters from the line. And even when I got the ball back correctly, a second later it was on the other side, just as fast.

The speed at which he played was monstrous. An insane intensity! Even when I hit drop volleys, he was on the ball in three steps. I thought he was very strong. It makes me want to play like him. It didn't surprise me. It's monstrous what he can sometimes do in practice."

The 2026 season, which begins in two months, will allow him to confirm this new status acquired in recent weeks. It is with a certain motivation and curiosity that he will approach tournaments he has never participated in before:

"What's next is going to be discovery after discovery for me. [...] I'll have to keep going like this. I played without pressure, it worked, I only have points to gain in all the most beautiful tournaments in the world... That's what will allow me to stay relaxed."

But Vacherot's year might not be completely over. Initially entered in the Athens qualifying rounds, the Monegasque player is waiting for a wild card into the Metz tournament, as reported by L'Équipe.