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Novak Djokovic crashes out against world No. 204 Valentin Vacherot at Shanghai Masters semis
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Updated 11/10/2025 at 13:44 GMT+1
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Novak Djokovic was the heavy favourite on Saturday as he took on Monaco's world No. 204-ranked Valentin Vacherot. The 38-year-old world No. 5 held his own in the early stages of the semi-final of the Shanghai Masters, but after injury struck in the first set he required medical attention. Vacherot took advantage of his opponent's struggles and fought to a 6-3 6-4 victory.
Highlights: World No. 204 Vacherot stuns Djokovic in straight sets
Video credit: SNTV
Novak Djokovic crashed out at the Shanghai Masters as Valentin Vacherot scored a huge 6-3 6-4 upset win on Saturday in China.
Vacherot is ranked No. 204 in the world and arrived at the tournament as a qualifier, and was deeply unfancied against the 38-year-old Serbian veteran.
Djokovic is the most successful player of all time, but there have been signs over the last couple of years that he has been starting to struggle with the demands of top-flight professional tennis.
His last tournament victory came in May at the Geneva Open, though he did reach the semi-finals in each of the four Grand Slam tournaments this year.
In contrast, Vacherot has not won a title this year, and his final on Sunday in Shanghai will not just be the first Masters 1000 of his career, but his first tour-level final of any kind.
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Djokovic held his own in the early stages of the match against his 26-year-old opponent, but midway through the first set he had to call for medical attention.
While he is known to have dealt with right ankle, left adductor and right shoulder problems in recent times, it appeared that on this occasion he was experiencing difficulty with an area high up on his left leg.
He was unable to get back to full mobility though he continued to push to stay in the match, only to lose the first set by three games, and then fall 6-4 at the end of the second.
Speaking after his win, Vacherot struggled to express himself. The Monegasque was taken aback by the win, but hoped he could also draw some lessons after he had a chance to take on one of the very best players of the modern era.
"To beat him, I’m not realising, so I cannot put any words on it. This is just crazy. Just to be on the other side of the court was an unbelievable experience," he said.
"I’ve got so much to learn from this match, from him, and even from myself, I have a lot to give."
Djokovic meanwhile offered his congratulations to his opponent, conceding he had fallen short of Vacherot's standards.
He said: "I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final - an amazing story. I told him at the net that he's had an amazing tournament.
"His attitude is very good, and his game was amazing. I wish him all the best in the finals. The better player won today."
The second semi-final takes place on Saturday afternoon, between Daniil Medvedev and Arthur Rinderknech. The final will be held on Sunday.
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