Looking at Valentin Vacherot ‘s epic run in Shanghai this month, one can’t help but think of Queen’s immortal track Bohemian Rhapsody’s opening line. “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” Arriving as a 204-ranked qualifier, he went on to clinch his biggest ATP career title. It also brought in a huge influx of cash for the Monegasque, earning over a million dollars. And the first thing the 26-year-old thought of to make the best use of that much money was to do something special, heart-touching for his parents.

Prior to capturing the trophy in Shanghai, Vacherot’s entire career prize money stood at $594,077. However, after he won the top honor following his three-set thrilling win over his cousin brother Arthur Rinderknech, his account witnessed a surge. Vacherot earned $

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