"It makes me happy because it's my world," Atmane reflects on his birthday gift to Sinner

Terence Atmane played the biggest match of his career in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. After a tough battle in the first set, the Frenchman ultimately succumbed to his opponent's consistency (7-6, 6-2).

Just before stepping onto the court, the two players shared a brief moment, as the 23-year-old gifted Sinner—who celebrated his 24th birthday on Saturday, August 16—a Pokémon card. During the press conference, Atmane revisited this moment, which was captured by the Cincinnati tournament cameras.

"I opened a Pokémon pack in Toronto with Gaël Monfils and got a really cool Pikachu. I thought it was the best representation of Pokémon, so why not give him a card for his birthday?

It made me happy to give it to him because it’s my world, so why not share it with Jannik? It happened naturally. I chose the card on Friday night before going to bed.

I decided I’d give it to him before the match and wish him good luck in the semifinal. Of course, let’s be honest—thanks to the tournament prize money, maybe I’ll add two or three more cards to my collection.

But the most important thing is to stay grounded, invest in my team, and keep these people with me all year," Atmane told *L'Équipe*.