All the feels: Arthur Rinderknech, Valentin Vacherot get tears flowing in emotional Shanghai ceremony
"Two cousins are stronger than one."
There was not a dry eye in the house at the Rolex Shanghai Masters after cousins Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot took the mic during the trophy ceremony.
The Frenchman went first after finishing runner-up Sunday evening in a three-setter. After beginning in English, he switched to French to address Vacherot.
Rinderknech soon naturally choked up, causing the Monegasque to also fight back tears.
“Two cousins are stronger than one. You won today, congratulations,” said Rinderknech.
Rinderknech soon naturally choked up, causing the Monegasque to also fight back tears.
“Two cousins are stronger than one. You won today, congratulations,” said Rinderknech.
The 30-year-old also paid tribute to countryman Lucas Pouille, who began working with Rinderknech after suffering a ruptured achilles tendon, for inspiring him to carry on with the grind of tour life.
“Thank you to Lucas, at home. We started when I was below the floor. Five months ago, I was thinking about stopping tennis at some point cause I wasn’t seeing the point anymore,” revealed Rinderknech. “You believed in me, you gave me my chance, you trusted in me. We started, we moved forward and now here we are, Top 30. I hope it’s only the beginning. I cannot thank you enough.”
By the time it was Vacherot’s turn to say a few words, cramping began to hit Rinderknech. Midway through, he was placed in a chair behind the podium and received treatment as the newly-crowned champion tearfully thanked Rinderknech for helping in a journey that included following in his footsteps at Texas A&M University,
Vacherot honored his half-brother and coach Benjamin Balleret, along with girlfriend Emily Snyder, for never giving up on his potential. He is set to rise from No. 204 to No. 40 in the rankings, achieving his goal of reaching the Top 100 this season.
