Valentin Bachelot’s unexpected run at the Rolex Shanghai Masters reached a historic peak on Saturday when he defeated four-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the Monaco qualifier to advance to the championship match. Bashro, ranked 204th in the PIF ATP Rankings, became the lowest finalist in ATP Masters 1000 history, pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the season.
Coincidentally, Vachelot will face his cousin Artur Rinderknek, who defeated former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the other semi-final, for the Shanghai title on Sunday.
Bachelot, 26, took advantage of Djokovic’s visible physical struggles and remained calm throughout the match. The 38-year-old Serbian appeared to be battling back and hip problems and twice sought treatment from the tournament’s physical therapist during the first set. Despite Djokovic’s efforts to push through, he was unable to regain his usual fluidity, allowing Bachelot to take control.
In qualifying, he won 78% of his points on first serve and hit 23 winners compared to Djokovic’s nine. Vashlo broke Djokovic in the first set immediately after Serbia’s medical timeout and maintained control in the second set to close out the match.
Bachelot, who entered the tournament as a preliminary alternate, had already made headlines by defeating No. 14 seed Alexander Bublik and No. 10 seed Holger Ruhn on his way to the semifinals. The win ensured he would break into the top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time, moving up 146 places to 58th. He also became the sixth player this century to reach the ATP Tour finals for the first time at the Masters 1000 tournament.
After the match, Bashro said, “This is really crazy.” “First of all, just being on the other side of the court with (Novak) was an incredible experience. I think there’s a lot to learn from him from this game.”
Djokovic, who has not won a Masters 1000 title since 2023, offered his congratulations but declined to discuss the injury.
Vashlo’s victory over Djokovic not only cemented one of the most remarkable underdog runs in recent tennis history, but also cast doubt on the Serbian star’s ability to continue competing at the highest level despite the physical strain of a long career.
