Benjamin Balleret: Working in the dark, winning in the light with his half-brother Valentin Vacherot | ATP Tour

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Benjamin Balleret: Working in the dark, winning in the light with his half-brother Vacherot

The Monegasque describes his journey guiding Vacherot to the highlands

January 23, 2026

Over the years, Valentin Vacherot would sometimes come to ATP Challenger events just to watch his half-brother Benjamin Balleret compete.

The two Monegasques would hit a few balls together in the evening before Vacherot, then a schoolboy with no real thoughts of turning professional, returned to his studies. Tennis was something he enjoyed rather than a pursuit, but today, the roles have changed. Now Balleret is watching from the sidelines, guiding the 27-year-old Vacherot as he competes against the elite of the ATP Tour.

“He played tennis for fun,” Balleret told ATPTour.com, reflecting on Vacherot’s youth. “He would go to school and play from 5 pm to 8 pm with his coach. He did this until he was 18 years old. I would bring him to other Challengers in Italy to watch my games.

What once felt like an unusual introduction to life on Tour has turned into a compelling coach-player relationship, built not only on contracts but on family and faith. A relationship that made headlines around the world in Shanghai in October of last year, when Vacherot stormed to become the youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion in the history of the series (since 1990).

Ironically, Vacherot began Shanghai’s run as the No. 204 player in the PIF ATP Rankings – the exact highest level Balleret reached in his playing days. Now 43, Balleret admits he never achieved the success he expected as a player, but the lessons learned have become the backbone of his success as a coach.

Before fully committing to Vacherot in 2022, Balleret built a strong coaching start, guiding Gilles Muller to the highest World No. 21 and working with Pierre-Hugues Herbert in a four-year span that included three Grand Slam doubles titles. That experience helped shape a philosophy based on compromise instead of quick fixes.

“Every player, every person is different,” said Balleret. “Some things are important to me as a coach: work, respect… It doesn’t matter who you train, this must be there. [You have to] work hard, respect and trust each other. After that everything is outside of that, you have to get used to every player. “

After Vacherot completed four years of college tennis at Texas A&M — where he played alongside his cousin Arthur Rinderknech, whom he later beat in the finals in Shanghai — the brothers officially joined. What followed were periods of steady progress, heavy losses and continued emotional investment.

“Sometimes it was difficult because it took time before it happened in Shanghai,” explained Balleret, talking about self-sacrifice. “Because you are my brother, it was even more difficult when you don’t have the results you want, you feel like you are losing a lot and you think you shouldn’t lose, a terrible loss.

“But we didn’t stop believing, working and trusting each other – that’s very important. Then Shanghai happened… I think everyone talks enough about this, but it wasn’t really true to go all the way.”

Valentin Vacherot, Benjamin Balleret” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2026/01/22/13/47/vacherot-balleret-coach-spotlight-2026.jpg”>_{^{Valentin Vacherot and Benjamin Balleret celebrate in Shanghai. Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images.}}

Coaching a family member has its own challenges, especially when the emotional lines between success and disappointment are blurred. For Balleret, learning when to step back as a brother and when to step in as a coach has been key to maintaining relationships and results.

“I think it’s easier sometimes to tell your brother things,” said Balleret. “The most challenging part is emotional, when we win I try not to focus on winning because I’m very happy for my brother, it’s the same as losing, sometimes it’s hard when you lose a lot and you’re not inferior, so I try to be honest with him.

“I have this thing where I know him very well, better than anyone. So this has helped me, yes. But we also don’t spend 24 hours together… We try to spend quality time together. It’s very easy going. Most of the time, I’m his brother and not his coach.”

Shanghai also represents the confirmation of a wide support group that has been carefully assembled over several seasons.

“Val and I have tried for three years to put together a team that will help him achieve his goals,” said Balleret. “That’s why he works with the fitness coach, Julien, his body, Antoine, the mental coach, Isabelle. And his girlfriend, Emily… We try to work together with all those people as well, not just me and Val.

“I’m very happy that Shanghai happened and that everyone was rewarded for all the work in the dark. We were working in the shadows for so many years. Now Val is in the spotlight, everyone is watching. We don’t look in the open, but it feels good to reach the goal and be there with the top players and play every week against those players.”

Vacherot showed that the Shanghai title was not a one-off. He rose quickly into the world’s Top 40, reached the quarter-finals in Paris two weeks later and arrived at the 2026 Australian Open – his first draw in Melbourne – as the 30th seed.

So where do they go from here? For Balleret, the focus remains the same.

“This year, Val’s goal is to play the best players and try to improve every week,” said Balleret. “Maybe you’re going to play this guy and lose to this guy, but what can you improve on to beat this guy next? That’s going to be a big challenge for me and Val this year.”

More than 10 years after young Valentin watched from home without expectation, the tables have fully turned. Balleret is no longer a sight. Instead, he’s a steady presence behind the scenes, guiding his half-brother through the most prosperous moments of a career that, not so long ago, felt like a game.