Valentin Vacherot delivered another stunning comeback at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo on 4 October 2026, overturning break deficits in both the first and third sets to defeat former champion Arthur Fils 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 and advance to the semi-finals. The 27-year-old Monegasque spent two hours and 20 minutes on court in yet another hard-fought three-set battle.

The Comeback Blueprint

Vacherot's route to victory followed a now-familiar script. Down a break in the first set, he reeled off four consecutive games to seize control, then repeated the feat after falling behind again in the deciding third set. The match's defining moment arrived with Fils serving at 4-5 in the final set — Vacherot immediately struck with two successive return winners before grinding through two extended rallies to earn the crucial break.

'I believed and turned it around in the first set. Then, in the third, I was a bit more positive that I could break him back because I was at 30/30 in a lot of his service games. Maybe he should have won one of the first or third sets, but I won both of them. That's tennis. That's the beauty,' Vacherot said, according to the ATP.

A Remarkable Resurgence

The Tokyo run is the latest chapter in one of tennis's more remarkable recent stories. Just a year ago, Vacherot was ranked No. 204 in the world and entered the Shanghai Masters as a qualifier — only to win the title, becoming the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion since 1990. His performances this week in Tokyo have already lifted him four places to No. 14 in the ATP Live Rankings. He had earlier this tournament produced a major turnaround against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round, recovering from a set and a break down. He is now 5-5 against top-10 players.

The victory marks Vacherot's third ATP Tour semi-final appearance. His title defence in Shanghai begins next week, where he carries 1,000 ranking points to defend — a significant weight, though his Tokyo form suggests he arrives in strong shape.

Blow to Fils' ATP Finals Hopes

The loss was a painful one for Arthur Fils, who had reached a career-high ranking of No. 9 earlier this week. The 22-year-old Frenchman was also chasing a stronger foothold in the Nitto ATP Finals race, currently sitting seventh in the ATP 'Race To Turin'. However, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur, placed eighth and ninth respectively, remain in contention and can close the gap in Beijing.

Fils' Tokyo campaign had been a story of grit in its own right — having missed the entry deadline, he fought through qualifying before defeating Luca Van Assche and Frances Tiafoe to reach the last eight. He also won the tournament in 2024. Ultimately, Vacherot proved a barrier he could not overcome.

What's Next: Lehecka in the Semis

Vacherot will next face Jiri Lehecka, who stormed into the semi-finals with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in just 58 minutes. It is Lehecka's 14th ATP Tour semi-final and his third of the season. Vacherot leads their ATP Head2Head record 1-0, having beaten the Czech at the Paris Masters last year.

Should he progress, Vacherot could face top seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Alcaraz advanced earlier on Sunday after Denis Shapovalov retired during their quarter-final. With a potential all-champions final on the horizon, Tokyo is shaping up to be one of the tournament's most compelling editions in years.