Happy Tuesday! As Coco Gauff continues her winning streak in hard court tournament finals, Valentin Vacherot defeats his cousin in the Shanghai final to become Monaco’s first ATP singles champion.

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Valentin Vacherot's improbable journey from qualifying alternate to Masters 1000 champion ended in storybook fashion, as he defeated his cousin Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in an emotional Shanghai final. The 26-year-old from Monaco made tennis history, becoming the lowest-ranked player (World No. 204) ever to win a Masters 1000 tournament and the first from his country to capture an ATP title. His fairytale run saw him battle through nine grueling matches, stunning 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and saving match points along the way to claim the $1.1 million prize.

Vacherot’s rise from Texas A&M standout to professional breakthrough was anything but straightforward. After dominating the college circuit, his transition to the ATP Tour was derailed by injuries that halted his momentum and sent his ranking tumbling. In our exclusive interview with Anish Sriniketh, who played alongside Vacherot at Texas A&M from 2021 to 2022, he recalled Vacherot’s drive and talent: "Val was a great team leader for us. You could see his level during practice. You knew he was going to make it." Sriniketh added that Vacherot would “have already been top 100 if it wasn’t for the couple big injuries that he had”.

Coco Gauff captured her maiden Wuhan Open title with a commanding 6-4, 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula in an all-American final. The 21-year-old didn't drop a single set all week, defeating top-10 opponents Jasmine Paolini and Pegula in back-to-back matches. After trailing 5-3 in the second set, Gauff reeled off four consecutive games to seal the championship, breaking Pegula 22 times across her five matches and showcasing the aggressive baseline play that has defined her stellar season.

The Wuhan triumph marks Gauff's second WTA 1000 title of 2025, adding to her French Open crown in June and bringing her career total to 11 titles. Even more impressively, she improved to 11-3 in career finals and extended her perfect 9-0 record in hard court finals, becoming the first woman in the Open Era to start her career undefeated through nine hard court championship matches. The victory earned Gauff 610 ranking points, trimming her gap to World No. 2 Iga Świątek from 1,290 to just 895, setting up an intriguing battle heading into the season-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Temperatures of 34°C with 80% humidity led to multiple retirements in Shanghai and Wuhan. Holger Rune questioned the ATP’s lack of a heat rule after Jannik Sinner and Emma Raducanu retired with cramping and dizziness, respectively. The ATP has since begun evaluating an official heat policy.

Venezuelan player Gonçalo Oliveira received a four-year suspension after testing positive for methamphetamine. An independent tribunal rejected his claim that the banned substance entered his system through a kiss.

Roger Federer played his first match since his 2022 retirement, teaming up with filmmaker Donnie Yen for a celebrity doubles event at the Shanghai Masters. The 20-time Grand Slam champion also hinted at a potential exhibition tour with Rafael Nadal and other retired greats.

Daniil Medvedev reached his first Masters semifinal since March after hiring coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke following his US Open meltdown. The former world No. 1, who fell to No. 18 after a string of early losses, showed renewed aggression with 27 winners against Alex de Minaur.

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