The 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters has delivered one of the most remarkable and heartwarming stories in recent tennis history, culminating in a final that transcends the sport. Cousins Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot have staged parallel, stunning upsets throughout the tournament to both reach the championship match, setting the stage for an unprecedented family showdown on one of tennis’s biggest stages. The journey to the final for the two former Texas A&M University teammates was as improbable as it was spectacular.

The 30-year-old Rinderknech defeated World No. 3 Alexander Zverev during the round of 32. He continued his momentum with a straight-sets victory over World No. 12 Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. His cousin, the 26-year-old Vacherot, embarked on an even more extraordinary path. His dream week included becoming the first player from Monaco to reach an ATP Tour semi-final and a historic win over four-time champion Novak Djokovic, making him the lowest-ranked finalist in ATP Masters 1000 history.

“I don’t know. In the best dreams we couldn’t have dreamt about this,” he expressed, as seen on The Tennis Letter’s X post. “I can’t even say it’s a dream. I don’t think even one person in our family dreamt about it. It wasn’t a dream. It’s just a dream that came out of nowhere and we started believing it maybe in the quarters.”

His words underscored a journey from mere possibility to tangible reality, fueled by a series of hard-fought victories. “Now we are here,” Arthur Rinderknech continued. “We fought so many matches. Somehow we are both guys standing at the end. Just incredible.”

This sentiment was visually echoed after his win over Medvedev, when an emotional Vacherot, who’d stayed back after his match, returned to the court to share a heartfelt embrace with his cousin; a powerful image of their shared triumph. However, the bond between Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot, forged years ago on the college tennis courts at Texas A&M, has been a central theme of their Shanghai runs.

Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot had their moments in Shanghai

Arthur Rinderknech brought his cousin Valentin Vacherot on board to join him in College Station, and they ended up being teammates and sometimes doubles partners for two and a half years. During the tournament, they’ve really been there for each other.

Rinderknech has been cheering on Vacherot during his matches, while Vacherot has been in Rinderknech’s guest box, rooting him on. After Vacherot’s quarter-final win, he talked about their lasting bond, saying, “I already joined him in 2017 in Texas A&M, and now I’m joining him in the top 100. It’s pretty cool.” What’s even more remarkable is that Vacherot’s coach, Benjamin Balleret, is also his brother meaning it’s a full blown family affair. With Rinderknech’s coach absent, it’s his cousin Balleret who’s sometimes been giving him advice from his box.

Also, their  coach from Texas A&M, Steve Denton, watched proudly from a distance, noticing the joy both players were experiencing. He remarked, “A dream week for both of them and it is a testament of what college tennis can do to young players if they are all in and trust the process of just trying to improve. Clearly they are feeding off each others energy and you can really see the joy they are playing with, much like they did when they were at Texas A&M. I have always believed in both of them that they will eventually put it together. Isn’t it ironic that they have done it during the same week?”

So, no matter how it all turns out, the 2025 Shanghai Masters is definitely going to be remembered as the tournament where two cousins, Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot, against all odds, made a professional competition feel like a fun family gathering.