ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 6, 2025

Valentin Vacherot

Press Conference

V. VACHEROT/J.L. Struff

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Congrats. This is your first tour-level win, and you become the first from Monaco to win in this event since 2009. How does it feel?

VALENTIN VACHEROT: It was very special, of course. The special story, I think the last one who won a match is my brother who is also my coach, Benjamin Balleret.

It's a great moment for me, for the family, for the country. I mean, it's only the start, hopefully.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Were you expecting such a big victory against a player who did well here in the past?

VALENTIN VACHEROT: Before a match, it's always difficult to expect something. We never know what's going to happen, but it's been a while. But I feel extremely well. I have been playing well, especially the past weeks.

So there was something in my head telling me that it was going to be my day, my week, and I played very well. But of course I couldn't expect winning in 58 minutes against a player like him. You can never know before the match. But it's good for my body, and I didn't spend too much energy waiting for what's coming.

Q. You had a tour in Spain that was quite difficult and also Romania, but when you play here in the country club, you play extremely well. We remember the very good match against Nuno Borges in Davis Cup. How can you explain that every time you play here your level increases?

VALENTIN VACHEROT: It's been a while that I have been feeling well. As I said, in March in Spain and in Bucharest on paper the results were not very good, but this is on paper only.

Me and my team on the court, we are very happy with my level because I have been increasing my level lately, with the Davis Cup parentheses in February, because in February I built up my confidence.

Of course the two challengers I played I didn't go far. I lost 7-5 against de Jong, who is top 90. And in Bucharest, the loss was tough first round.

But in spite of all that, there are moments I feel I'm playing well. I'm always tough on myself, but when I feel I play well, often I manage to win.

And in spite of this tough loss on Tuesday, it didn't affect my confidence at all. I kept that feeling in my mind, because I was feeling very well, and you could see it today.

Q. What were your feelings when you played on this Court of the Princes in front of your family and friends?

VALENTIN VACHEROT: It was a lot of emotions. Maybe the most emotional was when I stepped into the court, I didn't know there would be so many people. It's Sunday today, it's the first day of the first round. But I never thought there would be so many people that would be present for me on top of it.

The beginning of the match was the most difficult part emotionally, but after, my first or second serve game, I started to think, well, this is a tennis match, that's all. And after, for the three-quarters of the match, I was dictating.

Of course I will not always win with such a score against the top players, but today everything went well, and at the end, it was an enormous emotion. I wanted to stay a whole hour on the court with the people, but now I have to think to what is coming up.

Q. Well, yes, did you look at your next match?

VALENTIN VACHEROT: Yes, it might be the remake of last year against Grigor maybe. I hope for him. He plays his match on Tuesday, so we'll see on Wednesday when we play.