Such a thing will never happen again," says Rinderknech about his final against Vacherot

Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot, cousins, faced each other in the final of the Shanghai Masters 1000. The story is as beautiful as it is improbable, as Rinderknech stated when questioned about it.

He said: "Such a thing will never happen again, never in history. Not just in this century, but in history itself. What happened can no longer be repeated.

It's magnificent, exceptional. We will talk about this moment, sitting on a bench, at 80 years old. I've always dragged him along, since he was little. In the snow, I dragged him. On his bike, I dragged him.

In tennis, I've always pushed him, I brought him to Texas. I encouraged him during the two years we spent together there, when he arrived, as I had done before, in the middle of nowhere.

When I arrived, I was alone. When he arrived, I was there. I took care of him.

I've always wanted the best for him. He's a guy who deserves it. I love him with all my heart, always have. I'm extremely proud. I told him at the net that he was fabulous.

I have immense respect for him, and now, I'll have even more. I wasn't surprised, I knew what he was capable of. But he doesn't have the right to tease me about this victory!