Follow us on Google Discover Arthur Rinderknech has had two weeks to reflect on his loss in the Shanghai Masters final.
In one of the greatest underdog stories the ATP Tour has seen in recent years, then-world number 204 Valentin Vacherot went all the way in Shanghai after coming through qualifying.
Vacherot recorded an incredible campaign, beating Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic en route to the final.
Incredibly, the Monegasque star met his cousin in the title bout, Rinderknech, who defeated Daniil Medvedev to reach a maiden Masters championship match.
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In the family affair, Vacherot came back from a set down to overcome Rinderknech, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to secure his first ATP title and become the lowest-ranked player ever to win a Masters tournament.
Now, ahead of his campaign at the Paris Masters, Rinderknech revealed how he has dealt with the loss.
Arthur Rinderknech reflects on the Shanghai Masters final
When asked in his pre-tournament press conference how he is coping after the final in Shanghai, Rinderknech said: “I’m loving it.
“What we achieved was outstanding. It’s historical. We may add all the adjectives you might want to add. Experiencing that with a family member was incredible. I’m delighted for him.
“But the ATP Tour continues every week, so we turned the page already. We could talk about this for our entire lives, of course, but a page has been turned.
“There is a new tournament ahead of us with our own respective objectives to fulfil. I’m still his number one fan, his number one tutor, and his number one cousin.”
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After the defeat, Rinderknech took some time away from tennis, choosing not to play at an indoor hard-court event ahead of the Paris Masters.
He explained: “I went back home. I spent some time at the sea, in the mountains, to take some time off, which is quite good, because the Asian tour wore me out.
“I was quite exhausted, so it was important for me to regroup and spend some quality time with my wife and the people in my family.
“It was a good thing after this final in Shanghai. Of course, had I won, it would have been the icing on the cake, but already, being a runner-up was a good thing, and I have a lot of good positive things to take back from this.”
Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty ImagesArthur Rinderknech says how he feels about the Paris court speed
Rinderknech took to the practice courts at the Paris Masters with world number one Carlos Alcaraz ahead of the tournament.
He beat Alcaraz in a practice set, and said afterwards: “I felt quite good on the court. Everything is going well.
“The court is slower than if we compare with last year, which is actually a good thing, because it was quite fast.”
Paris Masters tournament director Cedric Pioline revealed he had received some complaints already about the court speed being slowed down in Paris.
“It is still quite fast,” said Rinderknech. “I think that the balance that was struck was good. The room is beautiful. There was a bit of a crowd in the room, so it was nice to share that moment with the crowd, as well.”
Rinderknech will play a qualifier in his first match at the Paris Masters, and he could play Vacherot again in the second round.