Two unlikely foes meet in the Shanghai Masters final.
The pre-match narrative: Not only are Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot two of the lowest-ranked players to ever meet in the finals of an ATP Masters 1000 event, but they are also cousins battling it out for a title at the highest level. Expect an epic showdown.
Check out my top Shanghai Masters prediction for the final.
Shanghai Masters prediction: Final
Best Bet: Over 23.5 games (-113)
Vacherot entered the Shanghai Masters ranked No. 204. He spent most of his season on the Challengers Tour, but will be partaking in a lot more ATP events from now on.
His live rank is currently No. 58, and that would end up even higher if he were to win this match.
The 26-year-old from Monaco took a while to reach the main stage, but he’s made quite a first impression.
Vacherot is coming off the best win of his career, dominantly knocking off Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
Rinderknech also deserves his flowers. He’s eliminated a row of top-tier opponents en route to the final.
He beat a red-hot Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarters and clawed back against a streaking Daniil Medvedev in the semis.
Despite playing some of the world’s best players, both men have been very difficult to break.
Because of that, I can see an epic back-and-forth match between the two cousins looking to capitalize on their moment.
This isn’t a high number by any means, and the match could still go over in two close sets. But I’m fully expecting a hard-fought battle that goes the distance.
Key stat: Rinderknech has held 94% of his serves at this event (60/64) while Vacherot isn’t far behind, with a 91% hold rate (93/102).
Tennis prediction made at 2:20 p.m. on 10/11/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.