2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters witness biggest dark horse run

Throughout his journey, he lost the first set in six out of his nine victories, including the final, but rallied to deliver an inspirational miracle with outstanding performances.

"The challenges were just everywhere," he said. "I am really happy that everything clicked and came together in this last set, that's probably what I needed to win."

Vacherot, whose goal was to break into the top 100 of the ATP rankings by the end of the season, said it is "wonderful" now that he is ranked world No 40.

During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, the tournament welcomed approximately 250,000 participants, with domestic audiences from outside Shanghai and overseas spectators accounting for about 60 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

By integrating sport with culture, tourism, business and exhibitions, the event experienced comprehensive growth and showcased the city's influence as a global sports hub.

Li Junfeng contributed to this story.