Valentin Vacherot Shines In Australian Open Debut Victory

Valentin Vacherot’s journey from Challenger stalwart to ATP sensation has been one of tennis’s most compelling stories over the past year. The 27-year-old Monegasque, who stunned the world by capturing the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters title as the lowest-ranked champion in Masters 1000 history, arrived at the 2026 Australian Open with a new sense of expectation—and, if anything, a bigger target on his back. Yet, under the bright lights of Melbourne Park, Vacherot showed no signs of nerves in his main-draw debut, dispatching American Martin Damm (No. 177) in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, in just over two hours.

For Vacherot, this victory is more than just a stat on the board—it’s a milestone that reflects a meteoric rise few could have predicted just a year ago. In 2025, he not only conquered Shanghai, defeating 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic en route, but he also reached the quarter-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters, catapulting himself to a career-high No. 30 in the PIF ATP Rankings by season’s end. This late-blooming surge earned him the ATP’s Breakthrough of the Year award and, perhaps more importantly, a newfound confidence in his ability to compete at the sport’s highest level.

“Of course I want to focus on what is coming ahead, but I’m not going to be mad about talking about Shanghai,” Vacherot told ATPTour.com before his Australian Open debut. “It’s just amazing what happened and of course I’m happy to talk about it.”

The off-season brought changes for Vacherot, both in routine and in mindset. Instead of grinding out Challenger events deep into December, he finished his season on November 2, allowing for two weeks of rest before embarking on a rigorous seven-week training block—six weeks at home and more than a week acclimatizing in Australia. “That was amazing to get ready for the big stage,” he explained. “Also with all that happened, let’s say that it was a bit easier to go every day, every morning, for practice. I did six weeks at home and then I left early to come to Australia to do the last eight or nine days of training. But of course, it was motivating to wake up after all I’d done.”

Vacherot’s preparation paid off as he entered the 2026 season with a new perspective on scheduling and recovery. “Now it’s going to be more about, ‘Which weeks do I take off?’ When I start playing well, I can take weeks off to get fresh again. I think it’s important on the big Tour to be fresh physically and mentally when you step on court because everyone is so good. You need to be almost 100 percent every time.”

His coach and half-brother, Benjamin Ballaret, has been instrumental in recalibrating Vacherot’s goals following his rapid ascent. “We had to [set new goals], because two months before the end of the season, I wasn’t expecting to finish No. 31 in the world and to be playing a schedule full of ATPs,” Vacherot admitted. “It’s easy to say we aren’t putting a goal on my ranking, but it’s more about basically what I did at the end of last season. Weeks when I feel like I have my chance, where I start playing good at the beginning of the tournament, and use those first matches to not just stop at the first or second round. Try to go straightaway to semi-finals or finals.”

Melbourne marks Vacherot’s first main-draw appearance at the Australian Open, and just his second at a Grand Slam—his previous outing coming as a qualifier at the 2024 Roland Garros. The pressure of the occasion didn’t faze him as he took on Damm under the Monday night lights, determined to notch his first win at a major. The clean, aggressive tennis that propelled him up the rankings was on full display, and with this victory, he now advances to a tantalizing second-round matchup against Australia’s own Rinky Hijikata (No. 115), a player known for his tenacity and comfort on these courts.

Vacherot’s story is intertwined with a broader narrative of late-blooming tennis stars, many of whom have found their footing after collegiate careers. His cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, followed a similar path, breaking into the top 30 after a runner-up finish at the 2025 Shanghai Masters—losing to Vacherot in a memorable family final. Both men share roots at Texas A&M, where Vacherot honed his game before embarking on his professional journey.

Meanwhile, the Australian Open also saw another Texas A&M product, Patrick Kypson, make his return to the Grand Slam stage. Kypson, 26, earned his wild card entry by outperforming Martin Damm in late 2025, winning two ATP Challenger Tour events and reaching three finals from September to November. His journey, however, has been defined as much by perseverance as by achievement. Plagued by injuries—including stress fractures, elbow surgery, a torn oblique, a meniscus tear, and a broken foot—Kypson saw his ranking plummet to 455. Still, his resilience shone through as he clawed his way back, qualifying for the 2026 Australian Open, where he fell in four sets to Argentina’s Francisco Comesaña.

Reflecting on his turbulent path, Kypson has embraced a process-oriented mindset. “I’m just trying to take this mindset that I’ve been working on for the last six months and judge myself on that, as opposed to winning and losing the match,” he shared in December. “If I can do that and execute on it well, then, ironically, I think that’s the best.” Veteran Texas A&M coach Steve Denton believes Kypson’s best tennis is still ahead—if he can stay healthy. “He’s gotten more aggressive, tried to finish at the net more and gotten closer to the baseline,” Denton said. “There are tactical things he’s trying, like trying to play a bit more aggressive on the bigger points.”

The rise of players like Vacherot, Rinderknech, and Kypson underscores the increasing importance of the collegiate pathway in professional tennis. For Vacherot, the lessons learned in College Station and the grind of the Challenger circuit have culminated in the confidence to challenge the world’s best on the biggest stages. As for his immediate future, the second round against Hijikata promises to be a test of both nerves and skill. With the Melbourne crowd likely to rally behind their home favorite, Vacherot will need to draw on every ounce of the poise and precision that has defined his remarkable rise.

As the Australian Open unfolds, Vacherot’s story continues to captivate fans and pundits alike. Will this be the tournament where he cements his status as a Grand Slam contender? For now, he’s taking it one match at a time, savoring the journey and the hard-earned victories along the way.