Rinderknech Keeps It All In The Family With Latest Shanghai Takedown

Arthur Rinderknech
Arthur Rinderknech (photo: Rolex Shanghai Masters)

SHANGHAI/WASHINGTON, October 10, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

Arthur Rinderknech earned his third-consecutive Top-20 triumph at the Rolex Shanghai Masters Friday afternoon – the biggest victory of his career – to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal. Upon achieving his 25th win of the season, there was no better feeling for the Frenchman than to be able to share it with his family.

The 30-year-old from Gassin in southeastern France, who earlier in the tournament knocked off World No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany and World No. 19 Jiri Lehecka of Czechia, dominated World No. 13 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada, 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and 28 minutes on Stadium Court at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center.

Throughout the quarterfinal, Rinderknech played front-foot tennis against Auger-Aliassime, who was appearing in his third-straight quarterfinal of the season, and kept the Canadian No. 1 from advancing to his ninth semifinal of 2025 – and first at Masters 1000 level since Madrid last year.

Rinderknech played aggressively from both wings, hitting 20 winners overall while making just nine unforced errors, and his serve was effective, too. He hit five aces, won 85 percent (29 of 34) of his first-serve points, saved all three break points he faced and broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve twice. He outpointed his opponent 63-48. 

By comparison, Auger-Aliassime struck 17 winners while committing 15 unforced errors. He hit eight aces and won 63 percent (26 of 41) of his first-serve points. Until Friday, Auger-Aliassime’s serve had only been broken just one all tournament.

Upon achieving match point, an elated Rinderknech smiled, tapped his chest and pointed toward his cousin, Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, who advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal a day earlier.

“It is huge,” Rinderknech said during his on-court interview with ATP Media, describing the feeling of achieving his third-straight Top-20 victory as well as joining the 204th-ranked Vacherot in the semifinal round. His cousin is set to crack the ATP Top 100 next week after his own incredible week of good fortune. “First of all, I followed my cousin. He was going through the emotions on Thursday and I am trying to follow and battle and do the same as him. It has been incredible since the start of the tournament.

“The whole family is following from home. We are in our own little world here. It has been incredible and today was a good performance from myself and I am happy it was straight sets, so I am not too tired for tomorrow.”

While Vacherot has skyrocketed 112 spots to No. 92 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Rinderknech has improved 17 places to No. 37 and is set to rise to a career-high next week. 

Rinderknech was asked during his post-match interview to describe the feeling of watching his cousin’s victory over World No. 11 Holger Rune of Denmark on Thursday from court side, which lifted Vacherot into Saturday’ semifinals against four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic.

“I was stressing so much yesterday during his whole match,” said Rinderknech, smiling. “I am not used to watching guys play on court and I wanted him to win so much. I was so stressed but I didn’t want to show anything. I didn’t want to stress him. Today was a lot calmer for me on court.”

On Saturday, Rinderknech will play 2019 Shanghai champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who was appearing in his third-straight Shanghai quarterfinal, and defeated World No. 7 Alex de Minaur of Australia, 6-4, 6-4, in one hour and 53 minutes Friday evening for his 34 victory on tour this season. 

In a tough battle decided by narrow margins, Medvedev closed out his quarterfinal win by firing his fifth ace – and 27th winner overall. The 16th-seeded Russian won 79 percent (33 of 42) first-serve points, saved all six break points he faced, converted two of six break-point opportunities and outpointed de Minaur 76-64. The Sydneysider (now 50-19 in 2025) responded with 16 winners but also made 27 unforced errors. The defeat prevent de Minaur from recording the 300th win of his career (299-174) and becoming the 15th Australian man in the Open Era to reach that milestone.

Meanwhile, it added up to Medvedev’s eighth career victory over de Minaur in 12 meetings and it advanced him to his 50th career hard-court semifinal on the ATP Tour – third-most among active players behind Djokovic (126) and Gaël Monfils (51) – and second ATP Masters 1000 semifinal of the season following Indian Wells. It was also the 50th Top-10 win of Medvedev’s career.

“I was super tired, and I knew against Alex, like against Learner [Tien], we would have long points,” Medvedev said during his on-court interview with ATP Media. “I think in the third or fourth game we had a couple and I knew it was going to be a long day, but I’m happy with the way I played. I was really clutch in the important moments. I was hitting the ball great. I was putting him under pressure many times – the second set was tight – but the last two games brought out the best in me. I was really happy with my level.”

Djokovic looks forward to Vacherot showdown

After his quarterfinal victory over Zizou Bergs on Thursday, four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic was asked about his next opponent, the upstart Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, who has reached his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal and, ranked No. 204, is the second-lowest ranked player to advance to the last four of a tournament at this level. With triumphs over four Top-50 opponents during the Shanghai fortnight, Vacherot has skyrocketed to No. 92 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

“I’ve known him for last couple of years,” Djokovic said Thursday evening during his post-match news conference. “Obviously he’s ranked before this tournament 200-plus. He’s been around. He’s playing for Monaco, which is a really great success, the biggest historical success for Monaco. It’s amazing. So everyone is excited there. We know we have one of the nicest and biggest tournaments in our sport there in Monaco [the French Open].

“So I’m glad for him, for his team. Benjamin Balleret is someone I’ve know for many years from Monaco, because being based there for 15 years, training at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

“He’s been improving a lot. We always knew that he’s got a great potential, with a big serve, a big game, he’s a big guy.

“He kind of plays quite similar to [Arthur] Rinderknech, you know. And I see that they’re quite close. The serve particularly reminds me of Arthur as well. So, it’s great to see that chemistry between them, that they’re supporting each other. Arthur was there the whole match. Yeah, historic success for him and, yeah, I’m looking forward to playing him. Hopefully, I can get a win.”

Meanwhile, Vacherot said he looks forward to facing Djokovic. “Who knows whenever Novak is going to retire, we know it’s rather sooner than later,” he said, explaining that Roger Federer had retired by the time Vacherot turned pro and he never had a chance to face Rafael Nadal. “So it would just be, it would mean a lot to play at least one of the guys of the big three in my career. Yeah, it will be, of course, a different feeling to play Novak.”

Around the Qi Zhong Tennis Center

In doubles, No. 1 seeds Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia were upset by Andre Goransson of Sweden and Alex Michelsen of the United States, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 10-7, in the semifinal round Friday afternoon. The World No. 3 Arevalo and Pavic, who came into the tournament having already won three ATP Masters 1000 titles this season – Indian Wells, Miami and Rome – were outpointed by the Swedish/American duo 69-67. 

Goransson and Michelsen, playing together for the first time as a team, will await the winner of Saturday’s second semifinal, between No. 3 seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz of Germany against alternates Guido Andreozzi of Argentina and Manuel Guinard of France.

Friday’s Shanghai Masters results 

Saturday’s Shanghai Masters order of play

By the numbers

With his quarterfinal victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday, Arthur Rinderknech became just the third Frenchman to reach the Shanghai semifinals, joining Jo-Wilfred Tonga (2013, 2015) and Gilles Simon (2014, 2016).

“Quotable …”

“Yeah, he’s a very tough opponent. He’s the type of player that when his game is on he can beat anyone. His serve is amazing, he hits the ball great. So he’s not the type of player where, as I say, when his game is on you know that you’re still going to have some chances, rallies. He’s going to try to finish the point in two shots, so I’m going to try to do the same, and just play good and see how it goes.”

– Daniil Medvedev of Russia, during his post-match news conference Friday after defeating World No. 7 Alex de Minaur to advance to the Rolex Shanghai Masters semifinals against Arthur Rinderknech. The 16th-seeded Medvedev will be favored against the unseeded Rinderknech.

 

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