Preview: Shanghai Masters: Arthur Rinderknech vs. Valentin Vacherot - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

In one of the most spectacular family stories the ATP Tour may ever see, cousins Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot will square off in a historic Shanghai Masters final on Sunday.

The Frenchman stunned Daniil Medvedev in three sets to earn a date with his close relative, who earlier in the day sent an ailing Novak Djokovic packing in the semi-finals.

Match preview

The women's side of tennis has seen many a blockbuster battle between family members, as superstar siblings Serena Williams and Venus Williams dominated the sport for well over a decade, but events such as Sunday's are a rarity in the men's professional world.

When Rinderknech and Vacherot cross paths in the Shanghai final, it will mark the first-ever ATP 1000 championship singles match between two male family members, and just the fourth on the professional tour overall after three such instances in the 20th century.

Not since 1991 - when John McEnroe and Patrick McEnroe met in the final of the Chicago Grand Prix - have two male relatives squared off with an ATP Tour trophy on the line, but the showdown between Rinderknech and Vacherot will snap that 34-year barren run and mark the end of a truly extraordinary week.

Vacherot warmly embraced his cousin after Rinderknech's 4-6 6-2 6-4 win over Medvedev in the semi-final, which succeeded equally exceptional successes over the likes of Alxexander Zverev, Jiri Lehecka and Felix Auger-Aliassime for the 30-year-old Frenchman.

Rinderknech fought back from a set down on both occasions against Zverev and Medvedev to reach his maiden Masters final, a feat made even more astonishing when considering he had never been past the third round of an ATP 1000 event before Shanghai 2025.

However, if the world number 54 is to win an inaugural ATP Tour title at the second attempt - having lost to Thanasi Kokkinakis in his first-ever final in Adelaide three years ago - he will have to risk a family falling-out with his giant-killing cousin, at least on the court.

Before both men put on their game faces, they could very well squabble over whose run to the final was better, as world number 204 Vacherot arguably matched Rinderknech's spate of upsets with his own sequence of shock wins.

The Monegasque trailblazer stunned Alexander Bublik, Tallon Griekspoor and Holger Rune before facing up to idol Djokovic, who was hampered by a hip injury from the get-go and was ultimately unable to quell the raw power of the qualifier.

Vacherot's 6-3 6-4 victory over the 24-time Grand Slam winner - during which he won 78% of points behind his booming first serve - saw the 26-year-old become the lowest-ranked Masters finalist in history, and of course, the first-ever Monegasque player to appear in the showpiece event.

A four-time title winner on the Challenger Tour, Vacherot is yet to achieve ATP Tour stardom but is potentially just two sets away from doing so on Sunday, when the first-ever Shanghai final between two unseeded players will be contested.

While some may have foreseen a Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz final at the beginning of the tournament, Rinderknech vs. Vacherot will bring the curtain down on a mad-cap Masters fortnight, and make for a good story for the finalists at the next family get-together.

Tournament so far

Arthur Rinderknech:

First round: vs. Hamad Medjedovic 6-7[3] 1-0 ret.

Second round: vs. Alex Michelsen 6-3 6-4

Third round: vs. Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-3 6-2

Round of 16: vs. Jiri Lehecka 6-3 7-6[5]

Quarter-final: vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 6-4

Semi-final: vs. Daniil Medvedev 4-6 6-2 6-4

Valentin Vacherot:

First round: vs. Laslo Djere 6-3 6-4

Second round: vs. Alexander Bublik 6-3 3-6 4-6

Third round: vs. Tomas Machac 6-0 3-1 ret.

Round of 16: vs. Tallon Griekspoor 4-6 7-6[1] 6-4

Quarter-final: vs. Holger Rune 2-6 7-6[4] 6-4

Semi-final: vs. Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4

Head To Head

France F13 (2018) - Quarter-final: Rinderknech wins 6-2 6-4

Rinderknech and Vacherot have never crossed paths at the top level before, but the cousins did clash in the ITF France 13 Futures tournament in 2018, where the Frenchman won comprehensively.

Rinderknech got the job done 6-2 6-4 against Vacherot in that quarter-final clash, serving 11 aces to the Monegasque man's four and winning a staggering 81% of points behind his first serve.

Rinderknech also did not face a single break point on the day, while converting three of the seven he fashioned against his relative.

We say: Rinderknech to win in three sets

Well, how do you even begin to go about calling this one?

Vacherot's beating of Djokovic must be taken with a slight pinch of salt given the Serbian's fitness struggles, but take nothing away from the qualifier's magical run to the main event, and he ought to be the fresher of the two as well.

However, the 6ft 5in Rinderknech can match his close compadre on the ferocious serving front - not to mention his dogged defending to save 10 of the 11 break points he faced in his semi-final - and his greater experience at the top level may also prove decisive in the family final.