ATP Terence Atmane

Atmane's ugly and unsportsmanlike gesture that no one can understand

Andrés Tomás Rico - 30 Sep 2026
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The ugly and unsportsmanlike gesture of Atmane that no one can understand. Photo: Getty Images

Terence Atmane is characterized as a controversial tennis player, to say the least. The Frenchman, currently ranked number 99 in the world, has the qualities to be among the top 30 or 40 tennis players globally, but his mindset and off-court issues prevent him from achieving that. The latest example was witnessed in the Jingshan Challenger during his first-round match against Elias Ymer.

Everything seemed to be under control for the Frenchman in a very close match where each had won a set. In fact, he was leading 5-3 in the final set and was serving to close the match, however, the Swedish player gradually turned the situation around. First, he broke back to make it 5-4, and then he equalized at 5-5.

It was here that a very ugly and unsportsmanlike gesture from Atmane occurred, out of frustration for not having closed the match. When it was 5-5 and 30-15 for Ymer, a missed forehand by the Frenchman was the last straw, and he decided to retire from the match when he still had chances to win and everything was tied. The Swede was in disbelief when he saw him approaching the net to shake hands.

Atmane reached number 41 in the ATP ranking in April, but is now close to falling out of the Top 100

Atmane is having a somewhat turbulent 2026. While he achieved his best ranking in the ATP in April (41st position), since then, he has faced very inconsistent results, as well as a split from his coach, Guillaume Peyre.

The former coach stated that their separation was due to “a matter of behavior and attitude. I set certain foundations, certain values, and some things were not respected. At the moment something goes outside the framework I had established, I leave, and that's it. It is unacceptable for me. It is not a matter of tennis or results, because I was playing well. It is mainly a matter of human values and behavior.”
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El gesto feo y antideportivo de Atmane que nadie puede entender