Title winners
The scriptwriters couldn’t have dreamt of a more unlikely yet captivating ending at the Shanghai Masters, as world number 204 Valentin Vacherot recovered from a set down to beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
The all-family affair was just the third-ever ATP Masters 1000 final to feature two unseeded players, with the Monegasque player claiming his maiden career title, having previously only won one match on the ATP Tour before Shanghai.
As a result of his fairytale victory, Vacherot became the lowest-ranked player in history to win a Masters 1000 crown, and the 26-year-old is now projected to rise up to 40th in the ATP rankings.
Having travelled to Shanghai as an alternate just hoping to get into qualifying, Vacherot produced a run for the ages, defeating Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic en route to Sunday’s showpiece.
He then completed the job with an accomplished display against world number 54 Rinderknech, clinching the title with a searing forehand down the line.
"It is unreal what just happened - I have no idea what is happening right now. I am not even dreaming, it is just crazy," said Vacherot post-match.
"There has to be one loser but I think there are two winners today. One family that won and I think for the sport of tennis, the story is unreal.”
Read more: Vacherot beats Rinderknech in Shanghai
Meanwhile, in Wuhan, Coco Gauff came out on top in an all-American showdown, with the third seed defeating compatriot Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, to claim her third WTA 1000 title.
Sunday’s victory put the seal on a superb week for Gauff, who saw off the likes of Jasmine Paolini and Laura Siegemund, while dropping just 25 games throughout her five matches.
The 21-year-old also became the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard-court finals.
Having trailed Pegula 5-3 in the second set, the final looked to be heading to a decider, but Gauff raised her level in the key moments to reel off four straight games and capture her 11th career title.
It’s the first piece of silverware for Gauff since Roland Garros in June, and with her WTA Finals crown to defend next month, she’s hitting form at the perfect time.
Read more: Gauff downs Pegula in Wuhan final
Biggest strugglers
Andrey Rublev suffered a third successive opening-round defeat in China, with the 13th seed falling 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka at the Shanghai Masters.
Since reaching the fourth round at the US Open, Rublev’s form has nosedived in recent weeks, culminating in an alarming performance at the prestigious Masters 1000 event.
Despite overpowering Nishioka in the opening set, the Russian won just five games throughout the rest of the contest, with his lack of variety proving costly against the world number 173.
Casper Ruud, Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov were also notable names to suffer early exits in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, in Wuhan, it was another difficult week for world number five Mirra Andreeva, with the 18-year-old breaking down in tears during her 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 loss to the experienced Siegemund.
Andreeva enjoyed a blistering start to 2025, claiming WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, but her results have been a little inconsistent since, with her latest defeat against Siegemund including a remarkable 15 double faults.
Having also suffered early exits at the China Open and US Open to Sonay Kartal and Taylor Townsend, respectively, the Russian teenager will be keen to break the habit of losing to significantly lower-ranked opponents as soon as possible.
Nevertheless, it’s easy to forget that Andreeva’s career is still very much in its infancy, and while she is undoubtedly the most exciting young player on the WTA Tour, she should be afforded time and patience to develop without being judged too harshly.
Standout moment
It was a gruelling week for players in Shanghai and Wuhan, with temperatures reaching as high as 35°C during the daytime and humidity soaring above 80%.
The brutal conditions - especially at the end of a long, unrelenting season - caused major problems for several of the world’s top players.
Jannik Sinner could barely walk as he retired with cramps, Jelena Ostapenko revealed she had suffered a heat stroke, while Rune asked officials: "Do you want a player to die on court?”
Worryingly, the ATP don’t currently have a heat policy they can enforce at events like the Shanghai Masters - unlike the WTA, who were able to temporarily suspend play on the outside courts when temperatures rose above 30°C.
The WTA’s heat rule allowed players to take a 10-minute break between the second and third sets, enabling the tournament to close the centre-court roof to offer greater protection.
The distressing and often dangerous scenes in China over the past week should serve as a warning sign for the sport’s governing bodies, with players continuously being asked to push themselves to dangerous lengths to compete in the biggest events.
Something has to change soon.
Best rallies
Djokovic had all the answers in his quarter-final win over Zizou Bergs, with the Serb's incredible retrieving skills on full display in this astonishing point.
Drawn into the net and then lobbed by Juncheng Shang, Nuno Borges produced one of the shots of the year to swivel on the baseline and fire a spectacular winner beyond his Chinese opponent.
Upcoming events
Unsurprisingly, it’s another busy week ahead with ATP 250 events in Stockholm, Brussels and Almaty, as well as WTA tournaments in Ningbo and Osaka.
Andreeva and Paolini headline a strong field at the WTA 500 in Ningbo, while home favourite Naomi Osaka is the top seed at the Japan Open.
The best of the ATP action comes in Stockholm, where Rune, Ruud and Denis Shapovalov are among the standout names taking to the court.
Elsewhere, Lorenzo Musetti is the top seed in an intriguing draw in Brussels, while Russian duo Khachanov and Daniil Medvedev are the strong favourites in Almaty.
Check out the full schedule for tournaments in Ningbo, Osaka, Stockholm, Brussels and Almaty via the links.
