Valentin Vacherot Stuns Novak Djokovic in Shanghai masters Upset
Shanghai, China – World No.204 Valentin Vacherot delivered a monumental upset at teh Shanghai Masters on Saturday, defeating Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and reaching the first ATP final of his career. The 23-year-old Frenchman triumphed over the 24-time grand slam champion,marking a historic moment in his young career and halting Djokovic’s pursuit of a Masters 1000 title as 2023.
The result comes after a week where conditions appeared to favor Djokovic, following the withdrawals of both Carlos Alcaraz due to an ankle injury sustained in tokyo and Jannik Sinner, who retired from his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor due to the challenging conditions. Djokovic himself has openly acknowledged the current level of Alcaraz and Sinner, stating they are currently superior players.
Despite the favorable circumstances, Djokovic’s ageing body once again proved a limiting factor. The countless physical issues he has battled throughout the year were underscored by this latest defeat, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining peak performance after years of competition.
Elsewhere in Wuhan, Coco Gauff advanced to the final of the Wuhan Open, defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3. She will face Jessica Pegula on Sunday, after Pegula stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) in the other semi-final.
