Jul 26, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Terence Atmane (FRA) reacts after winning a point against Facundo Bagnis (not pictured) during qualifying play at Sobeys Stadium.

tennis

Who is Terence Atmane – The French Qualifier Who Has Scripted History at the Cincinnati Open 2025?

23-year-old to face Sinner in the SF.

Jul 26, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Terence Atmane (FRA) reacts after winning a point against Facundo Bagnis (not pictured) during qualifying play at Sobeys Stadium.

One week ago, a large chunk of the tennis world was wondering who this talented southpaw is. Today, he is a Masters-1000 semifinalist. The story of 23-year-old Terence Atmane is one for the ages. On Thursday, the Frenchman defeated World No. 9 Holger Rune to advance to the final four of the 2025 Cincinnati Open. The result comes as a successor to his titanic triumph over reigning US Open finalist Taylor Fritz. But what is the story of Atmane?

The Early Life of Terence Atmane

Atmane was born and raised on 9 January, 2002 in the coastal town of Boulogne-sur-Mer in Northern France. He started playing tennis at the age of seven, after his mother bought him a racquet to train at the local club. “One day my mom came back home and said, ‘Okay, enough of video games. I’m going to buy you a tennis racquet and then let’s go to a tennis club and try.’ Since then, I’ve never stopped playing tennis,” said the youngster in 2023.

According to his bio, Atmane grew up idolizing Fernando Gonzalez – a Chilean former Top-5 player. While his father owns a renovation company, Atmane’s mother works for Eurotunnel. The Frenchman also has a younger sister named Chanelle.

Atmane’s Blooming Career

Atmane = THE MAN 🔥

The moment World No.136 Terence Atmane defeated Rune to become the first qualifier to reach the #CincyTennis semi-finals since 2015! pic.twitter.com/svq87YhYQJ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 15, 2025

In 2022, Terence Atmane reached five finals on the ITF Tour – out of which he secured two titles. When it comes to the ATP Challenger Tour, the 23-year-old has four trophies out of five finals to his name. He made his tour-level debut at the 2023 Zhuhai Championships, where he lost to eventual finalist Nishioka in Round-1. Later that year, Atmane won his first match on the ATP Tour by defeating Thompson at the Shanghai Masters.

Terrence Atmane after Holger Rune QF Win

“It’s insane. I can’t believe it…it’s also a lot of money for me. I’m very emotional about it. I couldn’t sleep last night after the Taylor win, but I was trying to enjoy it as much as I can because I had nothing to lose.”

🎥: ATP Media pic.twitter.com/FZESU9XwRv
— TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) August 15, 2025

Atmane made his Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2024 Australian Open, after coming through qualifying. He won the first set against former US Open champ Medvedev before retiring in the fourth set. A third round entry at the Italian Open ensured a maiden Top-120 entry for the Frenchman. In May 2025, Atmane secured a main draw wildcard for the French Open. Despite losing in Round-1, it set him up for the rest of the season.

The Dream Cincinnati Open Run of Terence Atmane

Seeded 23rd in the qualifying draw at the 2025 Cincinnati Masters, there were minimal expectations on Atmane. However, the World No. 136 won both matches in straight sets to progress into the main draw. Here, he defeated higher ranked players in the form of Nishioka, Cobolli and Fonseca to reach the Round of 16 for the first time in his career.

Coming up against US Open runner-up and World No. 4 Taylor Fritz in the pre-quarterfinal, it was going to be a monumental challenge for Atmane. The Frenchman dropped the opening set, as Fritz pounced on his timid approach. But as Atmane admitted after the match, he decided to go for his shots – resulting in an unfathomable 3-6 7-5 6-3 victory. There were more heroics to follow, as Atmane’s improbable journey continued with a straight sets thrashing of Holger Rune in the QFs.

Atmane’s jaw-dropping run has earned him some unbelievable records in Cincinnati. He is now the 8th lowest ranked ATP Masters-1000 semifinalist in history. Set to break into the Top-70 after the competition, he is the first Frenchman to reach the Cincinnati Open semis in this decade. If this is not impressive enough, Atmane is also just the third qualifier since 1990 to reach the Cincinnati semifinal, and fourth qualifier since 2005 to defeat multiple Top-10 opponents in a Masters-1000 event.

(Image Credits: John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images)

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Cincinnati Open

Holger Rune

Jannik Sinner

Taylor Fritz

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Terence Atmane

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.