Match Recap
Rinderknech’s Stellar Performance: Overcomes Auger-Aliassime to Reach Shanghai Semifinals
The French star secures his third consecutive victory against a Top 20 player.
October 10, 2025
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Arthur Rinderknech triumphs over Felix Auger-Aliassime, advancing to the semifinals in Shanghai.
By Sam Jacot
Arthur Rinderknech made headlines on Friday during the Rolex Shanghai Masters, achieving a monumental victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime to secure his spot in the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 for the very first time.
The Frenchman, who previously bested World No. 3 Alexander Zverev and World No. 19 Jiri Lehecka, was determined not to let his journey end against World No. 13 Auger-Aliassime. With a display marked by fierce determination and aggressive strokes, Rinderknech sealed a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win in just 87 minutes, concluding the match on his second match point.
Following his impressive victory, Rinderknech celebrated by raising his arms in triumph, casting a proud glance toward his cousin, Valentin Vacherot, who is set to battle against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals on Saturday. Discover more about their incredible journey here.
“This is monumental for me. I’m following in my cousin’s footsteps,” Rinderknech reflected, referring to qualifier Vacherot, who is on the cusp of breaking into the Top 100 as the first Monegasque player to reach a tour-level semifinal. “Watching him experience such emotions sparked a fire in me to battle just as hard. It’s been an incredible journey from the start of the tournament.”
“Our family is cheering us on from home. We’re creating our own little world here. It’s been extraordinary, and I’m pleased that I performed well and in straight sets—I’ll be ready for tomorrow!”
As a result of this victory, Rinderknech jumps 17 spots to No. 37 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and is set to achieve a career-high ranking come Monday. The 30-year-old has now claimed three successive Top 20 wins, joining the ranks of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2013, ’15) and Gilles Simon (’14, ’16) as the third Frenchman to reach the semifinals in Shanghai. He will next face either Alex de Minaur or Daniil Medvedev in the final four.
Auger-Aliassime had an impressive run prior to facing Rinderknech, having lost his serve just once throughout the tournament. However, he stumbled against the Frenchman, experiencing two breaks in serve. Rinderknech capitalized on Auger-Aliassime’s uncharacteristic errors, breaking serve crucially in the first set and wrapping it up with a confident display, having hit nine winners compared to only three unforced errors.
The 30-year-old continued to press forward in the second set, demonstrating resilience on serve by saving three critical break points at 2-1, 0/40. He finished the match with a compelling total of 20 winners and an admirable 85% success rate on first serves, as reported by Infosys ATP Stats, improving his record to 1-2 against Auger-Aliassime in their Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings.
Rinderknech expressed his excitement about the moment, sharing the stage with his cousin in the semifinals.
“I was so anxious during his match yesterday,” he admitted after watching Vacherot’s three-set victory over Holger Rune from courtside. “I’m not used to being a spectator; I wanted him to win more than anything. It was nerve-wracking, but I kept my composure. Today was much calmer for me on the court.”
As for Auger-Aliassime, he departs Shanghai ranked 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, sitting 530 points behind eighth-ranked Lorenzo Musetti, the final qualifying spot for the Nitto ATP Finals.
