French tennis player Terence Atmane apologizes for Shanghai racket throw, wins in Almaty
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The gist
French tennis player Terence Atmane apologized for throwing his racket toward the stands in Shanghai qualifying.
He then won his first indoor ATP Tour match in Almaty.
Background
Terence Atmane is a 24-year-old French tennis player ranked No. 98, a former world No. 41 and Masters semi-finalist. His season swung after a semifinal run in Cincinnati in 2025; he reached a career-high No. 41 in April and was still in the top 50 in August, but has since slid toward the edge of the top 100. In Shanghai Masters qualifying he threw his racket toward the stands during a match against Australian Bernard Tomic; it hit a side barrier and no one was struck, and he was penalized but not disqualified. He came to Almaty trying to protect his place in the main draw of the next Australian Open, with the event one of his last four of the season.
How it unfolded
- Sep 30, 2026Atmane retired in a Jingshan Challenger match against Elias Ymer at 4-6 7-5 5-5, after leading 5-3 in the deciding set.
- Oct 5, 2026In Shanghai Masters qualifying against Bernard Tomic, Atmane threw his racket toward the stands; it hit the side barrier, no one was struck, and he received a penalty but avoided disqualification before retiring at 3-5 in the final set.
- Oct 6, 2026Atmane apologized on social media, saying his fall from the top 40 to the edge of the top 100 left him more stressed and pressured than he could imagine, and that he would step back to rebuild.
- Oct 20, 2026Atmane beat Rinky Hijikata 7-6(5) 6-2 in the first round of the Almaty ATP 250 — his first indoor win on the ATP Tour and first tour-level win since Cincinnati.
- Oct 20, 2026After the win, Atmane again apologized and said he deserved the criticism over Shanghai.
- Oct 21, 2026Mattia Bellucci beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 2-6 6-4 to set up a round-of-16 match against Atmane in Almaty.
Who’s saying what
- Player
- Atmane said he received a lot of hate, which is normal because he deserves it, that he had been behaving badly, and that he was struggling with his mental health.
- Public
- Fans on social media criticized Atmane for his behavior and pointed out the damage such an act can cause.
Still unverified
Atmane cited a leg injury as the reason for retiring against Tomic. In his earlier social-media apology, he put his problems down to physical rather than mental health and said he could not tell whether his season was over.