Nothing Major 114: Vacherot Joins The Pod, Celebrating with Federer & Scariest Big 3 Member | EP 114
Oct 17, 2025
Valentin Vacherot, a rising tennis star celebrated for his shocking Shanghai Masters triumph, joins the conversation. He recounts his remarkable journey from being ranked 204th to winning the prestigious title. Valentin shares anecdotes about nearly missing qualifying, facing his cousin in the final, and his emotional win over Djokovic. He reflects on his surreal celebration with Roger Federer and the unexpected joy of a homecoming in Monaco. The hosts also delve into nostalgic tennis memories, making for an entertaining chat.
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Flying In With Nothing To Lose
- Valentin Vacherot flew to Shanghai despite being 22 spots out of qualifying and treated the trip as valuable training time even if he missed qualies.
- He got into qualifying about 36 hours before it started and used the tournament stay as planned preparation for more Challengers if needed.
Master Events As Rank Catalysts
- Vacherot highlighted how Challenger success and momentum can rapidly change rankings, but injuries and inconsistency disrupt that path.
- He treated big ATP events as strategic chances to accelerate progress when Challenger form stalled.
From Qualifying To Champion
- Vacherot survived qualifying after nearly losing and then won seven main-draw matches en route to the Shanghai Masters title.
- He only started believing the run was special after the round-of-16 win and didn't think about winning the title until reaching the final.