Shanghai Masters finalists Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech have a particularly special relationship, one that transcends tennis.
The pair are cousins, and following their performances in Shanghai, they are both now ranked within the world’s top 50 players.
Rinderknech defeated both Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev to reach the final, while Vacherot triumphed against Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic.
After defeating his cousin in the final, Vacherot gained 1,020 ATP points and moved from 204 to 40 in the rankings.
The Monegasque star, who became the third qualifier to win an ATP Masters 1000 title, also has another family member playing professional tennis, and she is currently ranked within the world’s top 250 players.
Meet Chloe Paquet
Former world number 96 Chloe Paquet is the second cousin of Valentin Vacherot.
Now ranked 222nd in the world, the 31-year-old is coached by Stéphane Charret and trains in Paris with the French Tennis Federation.
The French player made her WTA Tour main draw singles debut at the 2016 Copa Colsanitas, where she won two qualifying rounds before losing to Anne Schafer in the first round of the main draw.
She made her Grand Slam singles main draw debut in 2017, when she received a wildcard for the French Open. Paquet upset world number 44 Kristina Pliskova in the first round, before losing to compatriot Caroline Garcia.
Her best performance at a Grand Slam came in 2024, when she reached the third round of the French Open after defeating Diana Shnaider and Katerina Siniakova. She then lost to former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the third round.
Paquet has not made it past the first round at any of the remaining three Grand Slam events.
Chloe Paquet’s recent results
Paquet has achieved mixed results following her participation in five tournaments since the start of September.
At the WTA 125 in Changsha, China, Paquet defeated Darya Andreyevna Kudashova before losing to China’s Gao Xinyu 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
At the Huzhou Open, it was a similar story for Paquet. She won her first round match against Japan’s Sara Saito, before falling in the second round to third seed Veronika Erjavec.
At the Korea Open, Paquet entered the qualifying draw.
She stunned top seed Alycia Parks in the first round, winning 6-4, 7-6 before losing to 12th seed Linda Fruhvirtová.
| Tournament | Round Reached |
| Wimbledon | First qualifying round |
| Nordea Open | First round |
| Palermo Open | First round |
| WTA 125 Changsa, China | Second round |
| Huzhou Open | Second round |
| Korea Open | Second qualifying round |
| China Open | First qualifying round |
| WTA 125 Jinan, China | First round |
Paquet then travelled to Beijing to take part in the China Open, where she lost in the first qualifying round to Billie Jean King Cup hero Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Most recently, Paquet competed in the WTA 125 tournament in Jinan, where she lost in the first round to American eighth seed Whitney Osuigwe.
Vacherot told the ATP Tour: “I wanted to comfort him. I was getting recovery, treatment and all. I just didn’t want him to see me all of a sudden because he would know if I was there, it was getting special. I was hiding.
“But my heart was beating even faster than during my match. It was pretty crazy.”
He added: “We deserve it. If we’re here, we deserve it.
“To be honest right now I don’t even want to think about it. I just want to enjoy the moment, that we’re playing each other.”
