SERVING UP A MASTERPIECE

Culminating with an unexpected, yet inspiring final matchup, the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters has shone brightly on tennis' "China Swing" with a new champion crowned, multiple records broken and facility upgrades lauded.

After a fortnight of world-class action, a roller coaster of emotions and history-making feats, the only ATP 1000 tournament in Asia has delivered on its top-tier billing, overcoming several challenges, such as abnormal weather conditions and the early exits of star players, to serve up a real treat for tennis fans, both from home and abroad, in Shanghai.

Despite fan favorites Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev both bowing out in shock semifinal defeats, the final showdown on Sunday marked many "firsts" in not just tournament's history, but that of the sport overall. The eventual winner, Monaco's Valentin Vacherot, arriving in Shanghai a fortnight ago positioned at world No 204, became the lowest-ranked ATP Masters champion ever in a final that featured a first all-cousin encounter at this level when he faced off against Arthur Rinderknech of France.

"I don't even understand why I'm sitting here right now. It's crazy," the 26-year-old Vacherot said after outperforming Rinderknech in three sets in what was the first final appearance for each of them at a Masters tournament.

"Right now, I just want to enjoy the moment. I just got really, really emotional on the court after the ceremony, being up there with Arthur," said Vacherot, who wept together with his older cousin at the award ceremony.

"It was just an unreal moment for both of us, for our family. Unfortunately, there was one winner. But our family won, and the sport of tennis won as well, because the story we just wrote is amazing."

Vacherot has climbed 164 spots to No 40 in the ATP rankings and bagged over $1.12 million in winner's prize money, having almost doubled his previous career total of $594,077 before Shanghai, in the fairy-tale run of the year.

German pair Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz beat Swede Andre Goransson and Alex Michelsen of the United States in straight sets in the earlier doubles final to become just the second all-German duo to win an ATP 1000 doubles title.

A holiday boom

After Sunday's denouement, this year's tournament registered an all-time high total spectator attendance of 250,000, with 10 percent of visitors coming from overseas, also the highest number in its history, according to Shanghai Juss Sports Development Group, the organizer and promoter of the Shanghai Masters.

High attendance, thanks to the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, contributed to a tournament-record ticket revenue of 100 million yuan ($14 million), as well as over 20 million yuan in merchandising sales.

"The tournament has emerged as a huge contributor to the holiday economy in Shanghai, with the increasing number of spectators also benefiting tourism, accommodation and catering businesses, which has more than met our expectations and goals," said Yang Yibin, chairman of Juss Sports.

"I think a great part of the boom came down to our efforts in trying to improve spectator services, match-day experiences and the facilities at the venue, which we will continue to do in preparation for next year."

More prudent countermeasures on the extreme hot and humid weather conditions, which unexpectedly hit Shanghai this fall, will be discussed with the ATP, and will hopefully be adopted next year, enhancing the experiences of both players and spectators, Yang said.

Other improvements in the years to come will include more flexible ticketing policies, the introduction of more junior and, perhaps, women's events and better integration of tourism.

Drawn by a glittering cast of high-caliber players and legends on and off the court, fervent Chinese fans have left even the most sought-after global stars amazed by the level of support and admiration they provided over the last two weeks in Shanghai.

Djokovic, the fans' favorite among all the international stars, hailed their support as extra motivation for him to fight into the semifinals, despite the apparent physical toll the long season has taken on the 38-year-old.

"It's always a pleasure to play in front of such passionate fans," said Djokovic, a 24-time major winner, who tried to write thank-you notes in Chinese on the broadcast camera after every match in Shanghai.

"People have been giving me lots of love and support over the years, so I try to give back to them with good tennis, and also a basic knowledge of the Chinese language with a few phrases."

New facility welcomed

As the Qizhong Tennis Center celebrated its 20th anniversary, plenty of eye-catching facility upgrades at the home venue of the tournament impressed both fans and players.

Renowned for its iconic magnolia-shape retractable roof on its Stadium Court, which opened in 2005, the center also added a roof to its Grandstand 2 Court prior to the start of this year's tournament, giving organizers an edge in match scheduling against rain delays, which caused havoc at the 2024 event.

One of the venue's main practice courts was also upgraded with a 1,400-seat stand to allow fans an intimate view of the world's best-hitting players in practice.

The practice stadium has not only been enjoyed by fans, but also players like Holger Rune, who made his first Shanghai quarterfinal this year.

"It's nice for players to have a nice match court to train on and to get some practice in a more comfortable setting," said Rune.

Australia's world No 7 Alex de Minaur also praised the facility improvements and atmosphere surrounding the new practice court.

"It's a beautiful court, and I had the chance to have a hit with a fellow Aussie Rinky (Hijikata) and that was a lot of fun," said De Minaur. "Whenever you are in China, they show such amazing support. The fans are great, they're grateful, they love their tennis, and it's always a pleasure to play in front of them."