What we did in Shanghai was historic, something exceptional

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After dominating all the headlines with his family final in Shanghai and taking a few days off after all the media buzz, Arthur Rinderknech returns to competition at the Rolex Paris Masters 2025, where he debuts this afternoon.

Although the last Shanghai Masters final will be impossible to forget for different reasons, the reality is that life goes on, the circuit continues, and its protagonists must aim for new goals. Arthur Rinderknech, the runner-up in that event after falling to his cousin Valentin Vacherot, returns to competition this week at the Rolex Paris Masters 2025. In theory, he should have also been in Basel, but the excess of emotions led him to cancel that stop and allow himself a few extra days to recover. Now that he is once again full of energy, we hear from him before his debut this afternoon against Marozsan.

New conditions at the Paris Masters

“I felt quite good on the court, everything is in its place, although it is a bit slower compared to last year, which is actually a good thing because in 2024 it was too fast. In fact, it’s still quite fast. I think it’s positive that an equilibrium has been reached, the new center court is beautiful, it will be nice to share those moments with the crowd.”

The aftermath of Shanghai, his most important tournament

“I returned home, spent time at sea, took a few days off, which was quite good because the Asian tour wore me out. I was exhausted, so it was crucial to stop and regroup, spend quality time with my wife and family. That final in Shanghai was very positive, although winning would have been the cherry on top, but being the runner-up is already very good. I then thought about going to Basel, but I was very tired, I didn’t want to make the same mistakes as in the past, so I extended my break. Going to Basel at my limit would not have been smart, so we decided not to play and be better prepared for this Masters 1000, without taking risks for the Davis Cup that is coming in a few weeks.”

Relationship with Vacherot, his cousin and great friend on the circuit

“I have a lot of fun with him, what we achieved was exceptional, historic. We can add all the adjectives you want, it was like a family affair, I’m delighted with him. The thing is, the ATP circuit consists of playing every week, so we have already turned the page. Now there is a new tournament ahead, with new goals to achieve. I remain his number one fan, his number one mentor, and his number one cousin.”

Lucas Pouille, the key behind Rinderknech’s improvement

“I am a competitor, that’s why I love playing tennis. I want to play every week, step on the court to fight, this is what I love. However, in Basel we decided not to play because it was the most reasonable thing to do, although in the past I would have played. Maybe I would have suffered a back injury, or a tear, or arrived and been eliminated in the first round. This break allows me to start this tournament with more free time, this is exactly what Lucas (Pouille) is teaching me, to play smarter.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “Lo que hicimos en Shanghái fue histórico, algo excepcional”