2025 ATP General News

[Fiero425]

Watching end of Novak match now! Bergs blew it by not bouncing those lobs Novak was throwing at him in that 10th game of the 2nd set! Reminded me of Connors vs Haarhuis back at the US Open way back when! The old man kept throwing up lobs & Paul refused to bounce any of them, pulling back to make sure he didn't miss! That was a mistake w/ Bergs doing the exact same thing 35 yrs. later, finally giving up his serve & eventually the match to the GOAT!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Cousins Living The Dream!
The family WhatsApp group for Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot has been busy during the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Frenchman Rinderknech and Vacherot of Monaco are cousins and are both enjoying their best ATP Masters 1000 performance.
On Wednesday, Rinderknech defeated his 3rd seeded opponent in the tournament to reach the QFs. Vacherot continued his dream run a day later by upsetting Holger Rune for a place in the semi finals.
Rinderknech will face Felix Augur-Aliassime on Friday for a chance to join his cousin in the final four.

 

[El Dude]

 

[El Dude]

On a more serious note, if the final ends up being Rinderknech-Vacherot, it may just be the feel good story of the year. But it is hard not to expect Djokovic-Medvedev.

Speaking of Daniil, is he legit resurging?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rinderknech and Vacherot have made history by reaching the SFs of the Shanghai Masters, potentially becoming the first cousins to play against each other in an ATP final,, it could be a landmark for the sport as cousins playing against each other in a major final has never happened before.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

ATP1000 Shanghai,
Saturday 11th October,
Semi Finals,

Not before 4.30pm local time,
Djokovic (4) vs Vacherot Q

Not before 7.00 pm local time.
Medvedev (16) vs Rinderknech

 

[Moxie]

On a more serious note, if the final ends up being Rinderknech-Vacherot, it may just be the feel good story of the year. But it is hard not to expect Djokovic-Medvedev.

Speaking of Daniil, is he legit resurging?

Everyone loves the cousins story.

i haven't watched any of Daniil's play this week, and give how many players have fallen by the wayside, I'm not sure it tells us much that he's still standing, though he did beat the very story de Minaur today. It's going to be hard to call it "resurgent" unless he wins the title. How long has it been since he's won a title?

 

[El Dude]

Everyone loves the cousins story.

i haven't watched any of Daniil's play this week, and give how many players have fallen by the wayside, I'm not sure it tells us much that he's still standing, though he did beat the very story de Minaur today. It's going to be hard to call it "resurgent" unless he wins the title. How long has it been since he's won a title?

Rome in 2023, so almost two and a half years!

Last year was weird, because his Slam results were typical of him and very good--a F, SF, QF, 4R--but he didn't win any titles. He reached 3--and won 2--Masters finals in 2023, but only 1 final in 2024, which he lost. He reached four ATP 500 finals in 2023, winning two of them, but no finals in 2024. So he was still an elite player (#5), but slipping around the edges.

He's just totally collapsed in 2025, or at least fallen from the top 5 player he was, to his current live ranking of #14. But that's also just his generation, almost all of whom are in clear decline...there's still a bunch in the top 20, but the younger guys are pushing them out of the top 10. The lone exception is Taylor Fritz (Zverev is somehow still #4 in the live rankings but he's clearly slipping).

 

[Fiero425]

Rome in 2023, so almost two and a half years!

Last year was weird, because his Slam results were typical of him and very good--a F, SF, QF, 4R--but he didn't win any titles. He reached 3--and won 2--Masters finals in 2023, but only 1 final in 2024, which he lost. He reached four ATP 500 finals in 2023, winning two of them, but no finals in 2024. So he was still an elite player (#5), but slipping around the edges.

He's just totally collapsed in 2025, or at least fallen from the top 5 player he was, to his current live ranking of #14. But that's also just his generation, almost all of whom are in clear decline...there's still a bunch in the top 20, but the younger guys are pushing them out of the top 10. The lone exception is Taylor Fritz (Zverev is somehow still #4 in the live rankings but he's clearly slipping).

Funny, Daniil was the only player I thought could stop Djokovic's run to his CYGS in 2021! I said early & often that after Novak blew energy going to Tokyo (Olympics), Medvedev needed to be upset at the USO! I was prophetic as he stomped Novak into the HC in straight sets! I guess it's been all downhill ever since!

 

[kskate2]

Bye Bye OG. Dreams of a Shanghai masters title go up in flames by a qualifying cuz

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Novak's loss has to make you appreciate Roger Federer's consistency/floor. Federer never loses a match to a player like Valentin Vacherot. That is why I will always believe Roger is the greatest.

 

[Fiero425]

Bye Bye OG. Dreams of a Shanghai masters title go up in flames by a qualifying cuz

Just as well! It w/b terribly embarrassing for the tour havin' an old guy to saunter in @ the last min. only to win yet another ATP Masters event!

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Speaking of Roger, he played his first exhibition match in 3 years: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/federer-shanghai-exhibition-2025

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Things have got more interesting as Rinderknech has turned the match around, taking the 2nd set 62 against Mevdevev
Going 3 sets, we still might get the 2 cousins playing each other in the Masters 1000 final at Shanghai, which would be 'history making'!
BTW,
With Vacherot reaching the final in Shanghai he has become the lowest ranked player Masters finalist ever!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Wow!
Rinderknech has defeated Medvedev 46 62 64
The 2 cousins will play in the Masters 1000 Shanhgai in a history making final!
Has to be the ATP Tennis Story of the Year in 2025!

 

[Moxie]

On a more serious note, if the final ends up being Rinderknech-Vacherot, it may just be the feel good story of the year. But it is hard not to expect Djokovic-Medvedev.

Speaking of Daniil, is he legit resurging?

Well, you get your feel-good story, in 2 shocks. The answer to the 2nd question is, no, apparently not. (Thanks for the recap of his past couple of seasons, btw.)

 

[Fiero425]

Wow; what a freakin' mess! After the stranglehold the Big 4 on Biggie Tournaments, this is the new normal; old in the FALL though to have upsets like this! I think I read somewhere there was a potential in having cousins playing in the final! I thought "not a chance!" Either Daniil or Novak would spoil the party! I guess not! Some might think a result like this was due to the weather, but we can't expect total domination by Sincaraz; at least outside of the Majors!

 

[Federberg]

watched highlights for both semis. I love the way Rinderknech plays. Decent volleyer. He has a chance to be really good. Vacherot is decent too, but he needs to add a bit more attack particularly on the forehand, but for a big guy he moves well, solid backhand. The future of tennis is strong

 

[El Dude]

Rinderknech is 30--born the same year as Nick Kyrgios--which is part of what makes this run so special - them being cousins first, of course, but also the fact that neither has won a title (or been in an ATP final until now); Rinderknech's previous peak ranking was #42 in Oct of 2022, and Vacherot isi new to the top 100.

Rinderknech's having a nice little late career spike, but I don't expect him to rise indefinitely. And Vacherot is already 26, so hardly a spring chicken. I think a reasonable hope is that they both stick around in the 20-50 range for a few years, maybe pick up a few titles.

It is a great story, though!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

"They made the court slower to have a 'Cousin final"

Alexanda Zverev