Benjamin Balleret: Working in the dark, winning in the light with half-brother Valentin Vacherot | ATP tour | Tennis

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Benjamin Balleret: Working in the dark, winning in the light with half-brother Vacherot

Monegasque chronicles his journey that leads Vacherot to new heights
January 23, 2026

Years ago, Valentin Vacherot would sometimes appear at ATP Challenger events simply to watch his half-brother Benjamin Balleret compete.

The two Monegasques would play a few balls in the evening before Vacherot, then a schoolboy with no real thoughts of turning pro, returned to his studies. Tennis was something he enjoyed more than something he pursued, but today the tables have turned. It is now Balleret who watches from the side of the court and guides the 27-year-old Vacherot as he competes among the elite of the ATP Tour.

“He just played tennis for fun,” Balleret told ATPTour.com, looking back on Vacherot’s teenage years. “He went to school and played with his coach from 5pm to 8pm. He did that until he was almost 18 years old. I took him to some Challengers in Italy just to watch my games. It wasn’t serious, it wasn’t really professional.”

What once felt like an informal introduction to life on Tour has become one of the most compelling partnerships between coach and player, based not only on contracts, but also on family and faith. It’s a relationship that made global headlines in Shanghai last October, when Vacherot stormed through qualifying to become the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in the series’ history (since 1990).

Ironically, Vacherot started that Shanghai was the No. 204 player in the PIF ATP Rankings – the exact career-high ranking that Balleret achieved during his own playing days. Now 43, Balleret admits he never achieved the success he hoped for as a player, but the lessons learned have become crucial to his effectiveness as a coach.

Before committing full-time to Vacherot in 2022, Balleret built a strong coaching resume, guiding Gilles Muller to a career-high No. 21 in the world rankings and teaming with Pierre-Hugues Herbert for a four-year stint that included three Grand Slam doubles titles. Those experiences helped shape a philosophy rooted in consistency rather than quick fixes.

“Every player, every person is different,” Balleret said. “Some things are important to me as a coach: work, respect… It doesn’t matter who you coach, this has to be there. [You have to] work hard, respect and trust each other. And everything beyond that you have to adapt to each player.”

After Vacherot completed four years of college tennis at Texas A&M – where he played alongside his cousin Arthur Rinderknech, whom he later defeated in the Shanghai finals – the brothers formally joined forces. What followed were seasons of steady progress, difficult losses and continued emotional investment.

“Sometimes it was difficult because it took some time for what happened in Shanghai,” Balleret explained, referring to the sacrifices. “Being my brother, it was even harder when you don’t get the results you want, when you feel like you’re losing so much and you think you shouldn’t lose, some tough losses.

“But we never stopped believing, working and trusting each other – that’s more important. Then Shanghai happened… I think everyone talks about this enough, but it was really surreal to see it through to the end.”

Valentin Vacherot, Benjamin Balleret” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2026/01/22/13/47/vacherot-balleret-coach-spotlight-2026.jpg”>_{^{Valentin Vacherot and Benjamin Balleret celebrate in Shanghai. Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images.}}

Coaching a family member comes with its own challenges, especially when the emotional lines between success and disappointment are thinner. For Balleret, learning when to step back as a brother and when to step in as a coach is critical to maintaining both the relationship and results.

“I think sometimes it’s even easier to tell your brother things,” Balleret said. “The most challenging part is the emotional part. When we win, I try not to be overwhelmed by the win because it’s my brother too and I’m so happy for him. The same goes for a loss. Sometimes it’s hard when you have a tough loss and you’re not at the bottom, so I try to be very honest with him.”

“I have this thing where I know him really well, better than almost anyone. So obviously this has helped me. But we don’t spend 24 hours together either… We try to spend quality time together. It’s pretty easy going. Most of the day I’m his brother and not his coach.”

Shanghai also represented validation for a broader support team that had been carefully assembled over several seasons.

“Val and I spent three years trying to put together a team that would help him achieve his goals,” Balleret said. “That’s why he works with a fitness coach, Julien, his physio, Antoine, the mental coach, Isabelle. Also his girlfriend, Emily… We all try to work together and for all those people too, not just Val and me.

“I’m so happy that Shanghai happened and that everyone is rewarded for all the work in the dark. We worked in the shadows for so many years. Now Val is more in the spotlight, everyone is more in the spotlight. We’re not looking for the spotlight, but you just feel good when you achieve the goal and are there with the top players and play against those players every week.”

Vacherot showed that the title in Shanghai was not a one-off. He quickly rose into the world’s Top 40, reaching the quarter-finals in Paris two weeks later and arriving as the 30th seed at the 2026 Australian Open – his main draw debut in Melbourne.

So where do they go from here? For Balletet, the focus remains unchanged.

“This year the goal for Val is to play against the best players and try to get better every week,” Balleret said. “Maybe he will play this guy and lose to this guy, but what can you improve to then beat this guy? That will be the main challenge for Val and me this year.”

More than 10 years after a young Valentin once watched without expectation from the stands, the roles have been completely reversed. Balletet is no longer the one being observed. Instead, he is the steady presence behind the scenes, guiding his half-brother through the greatest moments of a career that not long ago felt like nothing more than a game.