Valentin Vacherot: ‘Your partner is really important’ | ATP Tour | Tennis

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Vacherot: ‘Your partner is very important’

Monegasque star Vacherot talks to ATPtour.com about the importance of partner Emily Snyder

08 April 2026

When Valentin Vacherot stunned the tennis world by winning the Rolex Shanghai Masters title last September, partner Emily Snyder was by his side.

It makes sense that one of the biggest matches of the Monegasque stars since then will be at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, a venue close to where they met almost four years ago. The home favorite will take on fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 clay court event on Wednesday evening.

In 2022, the former Texas A&M University linebacker was injured at home, battling a traumatic fracture in his leg. Snyder, then a University of North Carolina freshman studying abroad in Barcelona, ​​spent a week in Monaco with friends.

The couple met one evening that weekend and kept in touch, contacting each other briefly when possible over the following months. Snyder eventually moved to the Principality to the International University of Monaco, and has been an important support center for Vacherot ever since.

“Of course you need the right person,” Vacherot told ATPtour.com. “Tennis takes up 90 percent of our time. If you want to be good at tennis, you have to live tennis, wake up tennis, eat tennis, and do a lot of things in your day to be successful at your job.

“Your partner has to deal with that and be fine with that. And luckily for me, my girlfriend is amazing about that. She never complains about how much time I exercise and everything…

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The Monegasque player explained that even with the team around him on the road – as well as having his cousin Arthur Rinderknech on the ATP tour – having his partner in his corner from the field is important.

“I know when I spend time alone, I will spend time alone for two days or one week or 10, then I will see him again after 10 days and I will enjoy even more the time I spend with him,” said Vacherot. “So your partner is very important.”

Snyder also played an important role in helping his partner grow his position. When Vacherot first qualified in Shanghai last September, he was the No. 1 player. 204 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He is currently ranked the career World No. 23 and fans all over the world.

“You know about it,” Vacherot said.

I didn’t have that many followers before, and now it’s grown even more. [deciding] which interpretation you choose, which image to put, I will always ask him. He helps me with those small steps.”

Vacherot acknowledged that professional tennis is an endeavor in which much is focused on a player’s ability to succeed on the court. So it’s important for him to return the favor to Snyder whenever possible.

“When I have time, the first day off, [it is about] what we can do together to find out [away from] tennis. And I know it’s a time he likes. It’s important to him,” said Vacherot. He’s better than me – I’m very bad – but we had a good time, we laughed a lot.

“We always go to dinner with everyone. Every now and then, we change, we go to dinner just the two of us. We try to have dates during some competitions just to change and feel like [we are] at home. I thank him after many of my matches just for supporting me. It’s easy to do that… He supports me, so the least I can do is thank him for that.”