Valentin Vacherot relishes Carlos Alcaraz semi-final showdown in Monte Carlo

Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot said he was excited to face world number one Carlos Alcaraz in front of his friends and family after a dream run at the Monte Carlo Masters carried him into the semi-finals on home soil.

Previously ranked outside the top 200 before his unexpected Shanghai Masters win last year, Vacherot defeated Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday. He is the first player from Monaco to reach the tournament’s semi-finals.

In the other semi-final, world number two Jannik Sinner will face third-ranked Alexander Zverev. Sinner has an opportunity to reclaim the top ranking from Alcaraz.

After his win in Monte Carlo, Vacherot expressed his delight at the achievement.

"It's such an honour to be part of the semi-finals with the three best players of the past few years," Vacherot said shortly after his win in Monte Carlo on Friday.

"I can't wait to play Carlos in my hometown, it's amazing.

"The guys in the crowd chanting, they're my best friends from when I was nine or 10 years old. It's rare for a player to have this chance to have this many people around.

"I'm so lucky to have a tournament in my club."

Vacherot is expected to enter the top 20 in the ATP rankings when they are updated on Monday.

Alcaraz praised the 27-year-old’s remarkable progress ahead of their semi-final match.

"It's impressive, his story. He has a lot of motivation playing at home," Alcaraz said.

"He has won great matches this tournament this year. I've never played against him before, I just practiced with him once at Indian Wells. I know he's a pretty tough opponent to play."