Tennis has PR’d that it is a “Family Affair” well before Sly & The Family Stone’s signature song “Family Affair” in the early 1970s…
In October of the past season, first cousins Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot made “Family” the headline at the Rolex Shanghai Masters 1000. Their success “story booked” tournament coverage because it was such a “one off”.
Rinderknech played at Texas A&M from 2014-2018. Vacherot joined the team in 2017.
Rinderknech grew up and resides in Gassin, France. Vacherot was born in French-speaking Monaco and still calls the Principality home.
At 6 foot 5 and 6 foot 4, respectively, Rinderknech and Vacherot are lean and rangy – both with imposing serves, both very capable at the net.
Rinderknech, thanks to his No. 54 ranking prior to Shanghai, had direct entry. Vacherot had an adventure reaching the main draw. Prior to the US Open being ranked No. 253, he was unable to earn a spot in the Qualifying event. When he went to Shanghai his ranking had moved up to No. 204, but good fortune had to smile upon him to secure a spot in the “Qualies…” It did, with players dropping out and the fact the Qualifying draw was 48 spots thanks to a main draw of 96.
L’Equipe’s Quentin Moynet wrote that Vacherot had told a former Texas A&M college teammate that he was going to try for Shanghai… “because a ‘sick’ run can come any second.”
And it did, as he become the lowest ranked Masters 1000 champion ever, defeating Rinderknech, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Before this startling outcome, if asked to guess if there were cousins playing on the ATP tour who could possibly meet in a singles final, it would have taken me time to remember that Emilio Nava and Ernesto Escobedo were cousins, but that Escobedo’s retirement in March extinguished the possibility.
So Rinderknech and Vacherot and their wondrous achievement standalone.
Title photo of the presentation ceremony in Shanghai by Qian Jun