Terence Atmane’s career has undergone a dramatic change in just three weeks. On July 26, he lost to Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis (World No. 689) in the Toronto qualifying rounds. Twenty days later, he is in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open after defeating two Top 10 players in a row.
His success is due not only to the exceptional level of tennis he has shown since the start of the tournament, but also to the new Masters 1000 format. Under the old system, Atmane wouldn’t even have made the qualifying cut. Instead, he won two rounds in qualifying, entered the main draw, and went on to win five straight matches.
A Check That Will Change His Life
Even if he falls in the semifinal, Atmane has already ensured he will leave Cincinnati with 413 additional ranking points–almost half of his current total of 873. And the financial reward is just as remarkable. Before this tournament, his 2025 earnings stood at $310,376. The semifinal alone will add $332,160, meaning he has earned more in a week and a half by winning seven matches than he did in the first seven months of the season, when he won 24 matches.
Reflecting on this in his post-match interview, Atmane admitted: “It’s insane. I can’t believe it… it’s also a lot of money for me.”
All the feels 🥹
An emotional win for Atmane. pic.twitter.com/ysjpiLBaqF
— Cincinnati Open (@CincyTennis) August 15, 2025
Defeating Two Top 10 Players in a Row
We had already written about Atmane when he reached the fourth round, having upset Flavio Cobolli and João Fonseca. Few expected him to still be competing on Saturday, but he continued his run with victories over World No. 4 Taylor Fritz and World No. 9 Holger Rune.
With these wins, Atmane became the seventh lowest-ranked player ever to reach an ATP Masters 1000 semifinal–an achievement he himself didn’t foresee. After defeating Rune, he said: “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.”
Facing the World No. 1
Next up for Atmane is Jannik Sinner, the current World No. 1. While his dream run may be nearing its end, betting against him this week feels risky. Atmane himself remains confident: “Sinner? A person with two arms and two legs like me. I’m going to see what the very, very high level is like. I can’t wait, I’m going to attack it like the other matches. Since the start of the tournament, I’ve had nothing to lose—that won’t change,” he told L’Équipe (translation by Google).
The two have never faced each other before, but their paths may cross again. The Cincinnati semifinal guarantees Atmane a spot inside the Top 70, ensuring direct entry into all four Grand Slam main draws and most Masters 1000 events. At just 23 years old, it’s safe to say this is only the beginning.
Main Photo Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
