Partnerships and Play
Vacherot Emphasizes: ‘A supportive partner is absolutely crucial’
Monegasque tennis sensation Vacherot discusses his girlfriend Emily Snyder’s vital role with ATPTour.com
April 08, 2026
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Valentin Vacherot and Emily Snyder commemorate his 2025 Shanghai Masters victory.
By Andrew Eichenholz
When Valentin Vacherot stunned the tennis community by capturing the Rolex Shanghai Masters championship last September, his partner Emily Snyder was a constant presence by his side.
It’s fitting that one of the Monegasque talent’s most significant upcoming matches will be at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, just a short distance from where they first met almost four years ago. The local favourite is scheduled to face fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 clay-court event on Wednesday evening.
Back in 2022, the former Texas A&M University standout was recovering from a foot stress fracture at home. Snyder, then an undergraduate from the University of North Carolina studying abroad in Barcelona, spent a weekend in Monaco with friends.
The two connected that weekend and maintained contact, meeting briefly whenever possible over the subsequent months. Snyder eventually relocated to the Principality to attend the International University of Monaco, and she has since become an indispensable source of support for Vacherot.
“Naturally, you need the right individual,” Vacherot shared with ATPTour.com. “Tennis consumes 90 percent of our year. To excel in tennis, you must breathe tennis, wake up thinking about tennis, eat for tennis, and dedicate most of your daily activities to advancing your career. Your partner needs to understand and be comfortable with that. Fortunately for me, my girlfriend is incredible in this regard. She never complains about the extensive time I spend training and everything… When it’s around 325 days out of 365, it can get quite demanding sometimes. I’m grateful to her for that. It’s truly essential.”
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The Monegasque athlete explained that even with a professional team accompanying him on tour — and his cousin Arthur Rinderknech also on the ATP Tour — having his partner’s unwavering support off the court is paramount.
“I know if I spend time alone, I’ll be by myself for two days, or a week, or ten days, and then I’ll see her again in ten days, and I’ll appreciate the time I get with her even more,” Vacherot stated. “So your partner is simply tremendously important.”
Snyder has also played a crucial role in helping her partner enhance his public presence. When Vacherot entered Shanghai qualifying last September, he was ranked No. 204 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Today, he sits at a career-high World No. 23 with a global fan base.
“She understands this area. That’s what she studied,” Vacherot remarked. “I’m not particularly active on social media, but I’ve started to develop it a bit, especially since Shanghai. I didn’t have many followers before, and now it has grown significantly. It’s easier to do certain things when you attract more views, and she’s helped me at times with taking photos, [deciding] on captions, choosing which picture to post; I always consult her. She assists me with all these minor steps.”
Vacherot acknowledged that professional tennis is an endeavor largely centered around a player’s on-court performance. Therefore, it’s vital for him to reciprocate Snyder’s efforts whenever feasible.
“When I have free time, the very first day off, [it’s about] what we can do together to simply step away from tennis. And I know that’s the moment she cherishes. It’s important to her,” Vacherot shared. “In Acapulco, for one of the first times, we went golfing. She’s a bit better than me — I’m quite terrible — but we had a wonderful time, we laughed a lot. We always go to dinner with everyone. Occasionally, we switch it up and go to dinner just the two of us. We try to even have dates during some tournaments to change the routine and feel at home. I always thank her after most of my matches simply for her support. That’s the easiest thing to do… She supports me, so the least I can do is express my gratitude for that.”