“I Played Terribly”- Valentin Vacherot Delivers Blunt Self-Verdict After Tommy Paul Ends His Shanghai Title Defence

Twelve months after one of the most remarkable runs in Masters 1000 history, Valentin Vacherot lost 6-4, 6-2 to Tommy Paul in the third round on Monday. The 15th-seeded American needed under ninety minutes to end the Monegasque’s title defense. The 27-year-old did not require a post-match analyst to explain to him what went wrong in Shanghai. The defending champion gave the verdict himself, and it was far harsher than anything a critic could have written. Speaking to L’Equipe afterward , Vacherot used a crude expletive in French to describe his own level.