"Class act" - Novak Djokovic's ex-coach Boris Becker impressed by Serb's gracious message for Valentin Vacherot despite Shanghai heartbreak

Boris Becker lauded Novak Djokovic upon seeing a classy message the Serb penned for Valentin Vacherot, the World No. 204 who has stunned the tennis world with his performances and results at the ongoing 2025 Shanghai Masters. The Monegasque pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament in the semifinals, where he dispatched the legendary Serb in straight sets.

Djokovic and Vacherot clashed in Shanghai on Saturday, October 11. The Serb, who struggled with physical issues throughout the tournament, once again failed to perform at his best, while his Monegasque opponent ruthlessly capitalized on the opportunity. Ultimately, Vacherot prevailed with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

In the aftermath of the shocking result, Novak Djokovic took to X (formerly Twitter) and laid bare his appreciation for the city of Shanghai, where he is a four-time champion. The former No. 1 and 24-time Major winner went on to congratulate Valentin Vacherot and wished the Monegasque the very best for the final.

"Shanghai, you will always have my heart. 谢谢你所做的一切 🫶🏼 And @val_vacherot , this is your moment. You played unbelievably and have made Monaco proud 🇲🇨. Bonne chance pour la finale," the Serb wrote.

Boris Becker, who famously coached Djokovic from December 2013 to December 2016 and guided the Serb to six of his 24 Grand Slam titles, took notice of his former pupil's post. The German, lauding the nature of the message penned by the Serb, wrote:

"You’re just a class act !"

"Better player won today" - Novak Djokovic admits to being outplayed by Valentin Vacherot in Shanghai Masters SF

Valentin Vacherot (left) and Novak Djokovic (right) shake hands at the net after the Monegasque's victory against the Serb in the semifinals of the 2025 Shanghai Masters (Source: Getty)

During his interaction with the media following his semifinal loss to Valentin Vacherot at the 2025 Shanghai Masters, the Serb conceded that on the day, the Monegasque performed better than him. He also opened up about his heartwarming post-match exchange with Vacherot at the net, saying:

"I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final. Going from qualifications, it's an amazing story. I told him at the net that he's had an amazing tournament, but more so his attitude is very good and his game was amazing as well. So it's all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals and the better player won today."

Remarkably, Vacherot is now set to lock horns with cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final. Rinderknech, hailing from France, outlasted Daniil Medvedev in the other semifinal in three sets.

Edited by Sudipto Pati