It was an unforgettable world trip to the Rolex Shanghai Masters for Melanie-Antoinette de Massy, President of the Monegasque Tennis Federation, Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
De Massy arrived in Shanghai on Friday afternoon after a 20-hour journey from Monaco with Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tournament director David Massey.
On Saturday, De Massy sat with Massey in Valentin Vacherot’s guest box to watch her compatriot defeat four-time Rolex Shanghai Masters champion and world champion Novak Djokovic. Twenty-four hours later, De Massy was back in the Vacherot box and watched history being made as the 26-year-old rallied from a set down to beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and become the first Monaco player in the Open Era to win an ATP Tour singles title.
“I am so very proud of him and there are really no words that come to mind to really describe the feelings during the match,” de Massy said. “He played incredibly well and the match was fantastic. We saw some really great points, fantastic tennis and I’m so happy to be here. I’m so happy to experience this moment with him and so happy to see this historic final.”
De Massy’s phone receives nonstop messages from well-wishers back home, as well as interview requests. Avid tennis fan Prince Albert II of Monaco closely followed Vacherot’s historic run in Shanghai and sent the Massy a message before and during the championship match.
During the final, De Massy said she received seven WhatsApp messages from Prince Albert II and that he then spoke to her together with Vacherot.
“We spoke for ten to fifteen minutes after the match and he was so excited. Then Prince Albert spoke to Val for ten minutes,” said de Massy, who received almost a hundred messages after the final. “He was very touched by Val’s words during the award ceremony and was proud of Val’s results. The Prince gave interviews to the local press and congratulated the work of the Federation. The whole country is proud.”
David Massey and Melanie-Antoinette de Massy support Vacherot in Shanghai. Photo: Rolex Shanghai Masters.
There was a viewing party at the Monte-Carlo Country Club with members and many of the best junior players in Monaco. In the marketplace, the race was shown on a big screen at 10:30 in the morning, organized by Monaco City Hall, similar to what is done for the Formula 1 race in Monte Carlo.
“I turned on my phone, but I haven’t really watched anything yet,” Vacherot said. “I can’t wait to watch the videos, especially at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. I knew they were having a big viewing party. Since it’s Sunday, everyone is off, so I think this is probably the day most people are there.”
Shortly after the final concluded, Vacherot draped the Monaco flag over his shoulders before the awards ceremony began. He reflected on his historic achievement and what it means for his country.
“Just to hold the flag, and to be able to do that for my country, is obviously surreal,” said Vacherot, who climbed from No. 204 to No. 40 in the PIF ATP rankings. “I just think about our little federation, our little country, one of the smallest countries in the world. Probably the smallest federation. We have that, we don’t have many players, and now we have one Masters 1000 in singles, two Masters 1000 titles in doubles with Hugo Nys – also one Grand Slam final for Hugo at the Australian Open two years ago – and what we can achieve for Monaco is incredible. I hope we make everyone proud of us, and I just hope to keep going.”
Nys is ranked No. 19 in doubles and was a career No. 12 as of June 2023. He won his biggest title at the ATP Masters 1000 Rome that year and was also a finalist at the Australian Open in 2023. Romain Arneodo, a winner of two doubles titles this season, is ranked No. 45 in doubles after reaching a career-high No. 38 in August.
Earlier this year, French-born Monegasque player Arneodo made history at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April by winning the doubles title with Frenchman Manuel Guinard. Arneodo became the first Monegasque player to win the Monte Carlo doubles title.
“For Monaco it is absolutely extraordinary and we have never had a Monaco-born player in the Top 100 in singles,” De Massy said. “We have, as Valentin said at the end of his semi-final – and I really appreciated him doing that – to remind everyone that in tennis there is singles, but there are also doubles, and we have extraordinary doubles players. In Monaco we like to play Davis Cup because we love being a team, we love being all together and with the Monaco Tennis Federation – and Monaco tennis as a whole actually, whether it Now it’s about the tournament, the federation, or the club, is one big family.”
Half-brother and coach Benjamin Balleret instilled in Valentin the belief that he would break into the Top 100 and then take it to the next level.
“When we scored goals for Val, it wasn’t just Top 100, because it was a bit like, ‘Oh, for some guys we just want to be Top 100,’” said Balleret, who ranked No. 204 in his career in 2006. “No, it’s like: ‘Let’s go. We want to be Top 50, Top 30’. You have more, even more ambition. So our role as a coach and the whole team is to stand behind him, put pressure on him and tell him that he believes he can become a top-50 player. Because I think so many players no longer believe.”
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