Djokovic lost shockingly in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters

Djokovic, at the age of 38, continuously had physical problems in Shanghai. After escaping in the early rounds, Nole was unable to overcome the pain in his lower back in the match against his fiery 26-year-old opponent.

Vacherot continued his magical journey at the Shanghai Masters in a more impressive way, defeating the legendary 4-time champion. He became the lowest-ranked player ever to reach the final of a Masters 1000 tournament since the system was established in 1990.

The first set seemed easy for Djokovic, as he took advantage of the break-point early in Vacherot's first game. But in the next game, Nole lost the serve game, playing passively against the attacks of his juniors. Vacherot was excited from then on, holding the game firmly with good serves.

The turning point came after game 7, when Djokovic hugged his back and had to call for medical attention. When he returned, he had difficulty moving and repeatedly missed shots. Djokovic lost the service game. He appeared helpless, constantly grimacing, then almost gave up in Vacherot's deciding game.

Vacherot kept calm and played firmly, not being distracted by his opponent's injury to win 6-3. Djokovic at one point knelt down on the court due to fatigue and pain, but came back strongly in the second set. He fought fairly with his juniors and at times stood before a break-point but could not take advantage. However, in the pivotal game, Nole made a mistake with three double faults, lost the game and was led 4-5.

In the deciding game, Vacherot led 30-0 but Djokovic played stubbornly, scoring three points in a row to have a chance to win the game of blocking the ball. But in the face of difficulty, Vacherot served well, scoring a series of points from serve to end the match after two sets.

Vacherot won 78% of the points (28/36) when serving first, with 23 winners compared to Djokovic's 9. It's hard to believe that just a few days ago, he only participated in the tournament thanks to a replacement spot in the qualifying round. Since then, Vacherot has won eight consecutive matches in Shanghai to reach the final.

Thanks to this win, Vacherot increased 146 places to reach 58th on the ATP scoreboard next week. This ranking will further improve if he wins in Shanghai. The amount of 598 thousand USD earned this week is more than the total prize money from the beginning of his career.

Vacherot is the sixth player in the 21st century to reach the ATP Tour final at a Masters 1000 for the first time, and the first to do so since Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at Monte Carlo in 2022.

Djokovic still tried to fight, but it was clear that his physical strength did not allow him to create Another miraculous comeback. Hot and humid conditions in Shanghai continue to be a big challenge for the Serbian player.

In the final, Vacherot will face his cousin Arthur Rinderknech or 16th seed Daniil Medvedev. From a player number 204 in the world who was unlikely to qualify for the tournament, Vacherot's journey to the final at the Shanghai Masters 2025 will still be mentioned as a true fairy tale in the tennis world.