The incredibly harsh confession from Atmane: "I deserved all the people's hatred"

Carlos Navarro - 20 Oct 2026 | 18:47
Terence Atmane ATP ATP Almaty 2026

The Frenchman, embroiled in several controversial episodes in recent weeks, opens up and makes it clear that he is going through a delicate situation on a mental level.

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Atmane's incident went viral these days.

The ATP circuit has been marked by controversy in recent weeks. Perhaps nothing has been more notorious than a disqualification, in this case the one that Daniil Medvedev experienced firsthand at the Beijing tournament when an accidental ball struck a spectator in the eye and ended up sending them to the hospital. It was yet another example of the effects that certain reckless behaviors can have, magnified by the Russian's status, who had been playing with fire for several seasons and ultimately got burned. He has not been the only one... although others have, for now, avoided the embers of hell.

Terence Atmane was also at the center of a similar episode, but his story did not end in disqualification. In this case, the Frenchman’s book begins several weeks earlier, set in a season of ups and downs during which he has been unable to maintain the level that took him to the semifinals in Cincinnati 2025. Constant reproaches towards himself and his bench, tantrums like those of a young child on the court, and a poorly managed frustration that reached its two major peaks during the Asian tour: retirement at the Challenger in Jingshan for no reason two games away from the end and, above all, a match in the Shanghai qualifying round in which he threw his racket into the stands (it did not hit anyone directly, and he thus escaped disqualification) and where, again, without warning, he retired when he was on the brink of defeat (3-5 down in the third set against Bernard Tomic).

Atmane received hate on social media and reacts to what happened

The video of the Frenchman throwing his racket into the stands, completely out of control, went viral very quickly. He avoided disqualification, but not the reactions from fans on social media, who criticized the Frenchman for his behavior and pointed out the damage that such an act can cause. It was the lowest point of the year for him, a moment that forced him to look introspectively: something must change.

This is noted from the ATP Almaty 2026, where he once again tasted the sweetness of victory at the ATP level (which he hadn’t done since Cincinnati) after overcoming Hijikata in his debut. The past few weeks, it seems, have served for the Frenchman to switch gears. In a conversation with CLAY, Atmane takes responsibility for his actions and even does not dispute the claims of those who chose to leave him negative comments.

"I received a lot of hate after what happened in Shanghai. It's normal: I deserved it. I have been behaving terribly lately. In these weeks, I have been struggling a lot mentally: it has been an extremely long season for me during which I have suffered from mental health issues, so it hasn’t been easy. Here in Almaty I am trying to leave that behind and start fresh. Shanghai showed me that this kind of behavior has no place on a tennis court at the highest level, as many people are watching me and supporting me. I want to apologize to all of them, as I feel that this is not the type of behavior I want to show the people", the French player pointed out bluntly, showing some regret for what he did in Chinese lands.

 

How do you move past such an episode? How do you make a fresh start when your actions have left you exposed? For Terence, the solution is simple: seeking refuge in your loved ones, those who encourage you to change misguided behaviors. "I have been very disappointed in myself, but I am happy for all the people in my circle who have shown me that no matter what happens, they love me for who I am and will do everything possible to help me through this process. I am happy for that, I feel this is a new beginning. I have been preparing for this tournament, it's the first of the last four of the season, so I am excited", the Frenchman asserted.

Could this be the beginning of a new Terence Atmane? At 24 years old, the Frenchman has plenty of time to reflect on the effects of his behavior, as well as to seek new ways to channel frustration and improve emotional and anger management: in the meantime, he will need victories and successes to boost his confidence and prevent a plunge in the ATP ranking. Perhaps Kazakhstan is the most inexplicable yet right place to start: on the brink of falling out of the top 100, Almaty will dictate his fate.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La durísima confesión de Atmane: "Merecí todo el odio de la gente"