He brought a tremendous amount of explosiveness": Terence Atmane's unexpected model

Behind his rapid rise, the 22-year-old Frenchman hides a surprising source of inspiration. He even admits to still watching his matches to this day.

World No. 61 Terence Atmane has made huge progress since the beginning of the summer, particularly during the Cincinnati Masters 1000 where he reached the semifinals. Last week in Beijing, Atmane was able to challenge world No. 2 Jannik Sinner by taking a set off him.

Before facing Camilo Ugo Carabelli in his first round match in Shanghai, the Frenchman was interviewed for the ATP website. Among other topics, he discussed Fernando Gonzalez, his childhood idol:

"It might seem a bit surprising that he's my favorite player, but I loved watching him play when I was a child. He brought a tremendous amount of explosiveness every time he played, his forehand was always impressive.

I really liked that and I tried to imitate him a bit when I was young. Even now, when I have free time, I still watch his matches.