In a surprising turn of events at the French Open, French player Terence Atmane received only a warning after striking a spectator with a ball during his first-round match. The incident occurred on Court 12, one of the event’s smaller courts, during a match against Sebastian Ofner from Austria. Atmane, ranked 120th in the world, hit the ball angrily over the wall into the stands behind the opposite baseline. The impact caused a delay of nearly 15 minutes as the chair umpire and tournament referee assessed the situation.
It’s 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 at Roland-Garros!
Terence Atmane hits a spectator out of frustration… 😤
Ofner wants him disqualified… ⛔️
After much deliberation with the umpire and supervisor, he gets a warning instead ⚠️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/9vSiEfSnWR
— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 26, 2024
The Incident
Atmane’s powerful shot went straight into the crowd, hitting a fan. Despite the severity of the incident, he was not penalized beyond receiving a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. This decision has sparked controversy within the tennis community. Some, including Atmane’s opponent Ofner, believe that more severe consequences should have been imposed. Ofner managed to come back from a two-set deficit to win the match 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2, 7-5, but the incident remains a topic of discussion
This was Atmane’s apology on social media.
“Hello, Good evening Just to come back to what happened last night regarding the mini drama I’m facing: After losing the 3rd set and leading 4/1 in the 4th, Sebastian saves a break point and just as he sends the ball back to me I have a moment of frustration and decide to send the ball into the net out of frustration… Problem: I broke my string at the same moment and found myself watching my ball cross the court and go straight into the leg of a spectator… Of course, my first instinct would have been to go and apologize, but I was so shocked and disoriented by my action that no reaction came to mind… like a blackout where my brain switches off and I can’t think of anything else – anything.
I’m working very hard on myself mentally and people who know me know that I’ve made enormous progress in terms of frustration and stress management, even if I’m far from perfect. Stress that 6 months ago was causing me to lose between 4 and 6kg per tournament. This gesture, which I’m sure you’ve seen on the media, was not intentional, so please forgive me for my emotional outburst and, above all, I’d like to apologize personally to the lady I’m currently looking for with my agent and the tournament organizers, so that I can tell her straight to her face and offer her one of my signed rackets (if she accepts the offer, of course).
I will assume the financial consequences of my actions with the tournament. I’m writing this with tears in my eyes because I’m an extremely sensitive person and finding myself in this kind of situation affects me deeply. I sincerely hope my message will be heard. See you soon Térence”
Terence Atmane in 2024
LWLWWLLWWW Ranked no.121, the French player played his last match on the 26th of May when he was overcome by world no.45 Sebastian Ofner 3-6 4-6 7-6(2) 6-2 7-5 in the 1st round of the French Open (draw).
Presently, during this year the French player has a compiled 18-15 match record.
