Tennis: Valentin Vacherot wins the title at the ATP 500 in Basel

This week, the Monegasque was competing in the ATP 500 Basel tournament. Despite a highly competitive draw, Valentin Vacherot made his way to the final this Sunday to win the title and regain confidence before the last Masters 1000 of the season, next week at the Plenitude Arena where he was expected this Sunday…

With mixed results, Valentin Vacherot’s 2026 season has been propelled into a new tennis dimension since October 2025, and is nearing its end. Last week the player from the principality was surprised right from the start of the Lyon tournament by a very strong Luca Van Assche. Among the important events still to play, the ATP 500 Basel which took place this week.

Facing Mariano Navone in the first round this Monday, the Monegasque prevailed in two sets (6-3/7-6), after more than two hours of combat. Struggling in the second set, trailing by a large margin, Valentin Vacherot saved four set points at 5/2 before reversing the situation and clinching it in the tiebreaker. True to form, he relied on particularly effective serving, with 12 aces and 85% of points won behind his first serve. While he lacked consistency in rallies, the Monegasque was particularly aggressive, scoring 23 winners for 41 unforced errors.

Valentin Vacherot plays the giant killers

His second round was much more complicated, facing one of this season’s sensations: Rafael Jodar. The first set is extremely closely contested. Neither player manages to break the other’s serve and the statistics testify to a balanced duel. It is ultimately Valentin Vacherot who makes the difference in the tiebreaker, won narrowly 7-4.
The second set, however, is much more difficult for the Monegasque, clearly dominated by his opponent. Broken right from his first service game, then a second time mid-set, he allows Jodar to finish comfortably with a score of 6/2.

The third set offers a much tighter scenario, in line with the first. Despite a break conceded on each side early in the set, the two players remain tied until the decisive tiebreaker. Valentin Vacherot makes a difference once again to clinch victory. Final score, (7-6/2-6/7-6).

The Monegasque thus scores a prestigious victory over Rafael Jodar, an opponent who has much at stake in the race to qualify for the Turin Masters.

In the quarterfinals, Valentin Vacherot faced Holger Rune, ranked 432nd in the world, a deceptive ranking for the former top 4 player, returning to competition after a year’s absence. The two men had indeed faced each other late last season, in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters 1000, where the Monegasque had won. The Dane hoped to take revenge, but Vacherot had other ideas. After a closely contested match, marked by a break on each side in each set, the Monegasque ultimately made the difference in three sets (6-3/3-6/6-3). Once again imperious on serve, he notably hit 20 aces to secure a place in the final four.

A tough end to the road

After a perfectly controlled semifinal won against American Taylor Fritz in two sets (7-6/6-3), Valentin Vacherot earned another prestigious final at the ATP 500 Basel. The Monegasque then faced Jiri Lehecka, an opponent he knew well as this was already their third confrontation in less than a year. Strong from his triumph at the Shanghai Masters 1000 in 2025, the player from the Principality aimed for a second title on the main circuit against a Czech player also seeking a return to the top.

Yet dominated in the first set and shaken by the quality of service and return of Jiri Lehecka, the Monegasque never gave up. Thanks to remarkable mental strength, he gradually reversed the momentum of the match, also benefiting from a dip in form from his opponent. More solid in crucial rallies and more effective at important moments, the Monegasque eventually took control of the match to prevail in three sets (2-6/6-3/6-3). A victory that allows him to secure his second ATP title of his career and confirm his excellent progression among the best players on the circuit.