Terence Atmane Apologizes for Court Behavior Following First Indoor ATP Win

Atmane has faced criticism for his recent conduct, particularly during a previous tournament in Shanghai. He expressed that the backlash he received was justified, stating, "I received a lot of hate, which is pretty normal because I deserve it. I’ve been behaving pretty badly." He elaborated on his mental struggles, calling the season long and challenging, noting, "I was trying to get a fresh start after this tournament, because Shanghai showed me that this kind of behavior has nothing to do on a tennis court at the highest level."

He further conveyed his remorse, saying, "I want to deeply apologize to everyone because this is not the type of behavior that I want to show to people. I’ve been pretty disappointed in myself, but I’m happy about the people around me who showed me that no matter what, they will love me for who I am."

Atmane’s earlier incident involved throwing his racket into the stands during his first qualifying match in Shanghai against Bernard Tomic on October 5. Although the racket did not reach the front row due to a barrier, he retired from the match shortly thereafter, marking his second retirement in just a week.

In a social media statement following the Shanghai incident, Atmane shared that watching his ranking plummet from the top 40 to nearly outside the top 100 had created significant stress and pressure. He discussed stepping back to rebuild his game and noted that he was unable to determine whether his season would continue.

The victory over Hijikata was particularly significant as it marked Atmane’s first indoor win on the ATP Tour and also his debut tournament in Kazakhstan. "I feel amazing," he remarked after his match. "I never got an indoor win on the ATP Tour, so I’m pretty happy about that. Of course, now that you get one win, you want a second one."

Atmane’s next match will be against the winner of the match between sixth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Mattia Bellucci.