Terence Atmane, a rising French tennis player, found himself at the center of a surprising controversy following his performance at the Shanghai Masters in 2024. Despite pushing World No. 7 Taylor Fritz to two tight tie-break sets, Atmane’s impressive showing was overshadowed by a sudden and public split with his sponsor, Asics.

The Nike Incident

The drama unfolded when Atmane appeared on court holding Nike trainers instead of the Asics gear he was contracted to wear. This seemingly minor breach of sponsorship protocol led to swift consequences. Shortly after the match, Atmane posted a cryptic message on Instagram, thanking Asics for their support and acknowledging that he had been let go. His message read: “Thank you for everything Asics Tennis. It was a pleasure for me to represent the family even if you guys fired me. I can’t complain about that decision.”

Social Media Reaction

The post raised eyebrows across the tennis world. Atmane’s tone was oddly calm and reflective, hinting at personal growth rather than bitterness. He continued, “Hope you saw and enjoyed how much I improved mentally after this week cause this is just the beginning of a new me.” The message, while emotionally charged, avoided direct confrontation and instead focused on gratitude and transformation.

Career Momentum And Challenges

Atmane’s dismissal came at a time when his career was gaining traction. Earlier in the year, he qualified for his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open and reached the third round of the Italian Masters. His performances had earned him wildcard entries into major tournaments, and he had climbed to a career-high ranking of World No. 118 by October 2024.

Atmane in Cincinnati, ranking, and results in 2025

At the moment ranked no.136, Atmane owns a composed 31-24 record in 2025. Atmane is playing in Cincinnati where he managed to beat the world no.207 Omar Jasika 7-5 6-4, the world no.176 Li Tu 7-5 6-3, the world no.130 Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2 6-2, the world no.22 Flavio Cobolli 6-4 3-6 7-6(5), the world no.52 Joao Fonseca 6-3 6-4, the world no.4 Taylor Fritz 3-6 7-5 6-3 and the world no.9 Holger Rune 6-2 6-3.

Terence Atmane will come up against the world no.1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinal. They have never competed against each other until now on the main tour.

Atmane has won 2 titles in 2025 in the Busan Challenger and the Guangzhou Challenger.