"My goal is to one day be able to beat Sinner and Alcaraz," reveals Atmane
After a successful season, Terence Atmane hopes to beat the world's best players in the coming months.
Atmane is on the rise. The French player, currently ranked 61st in the world, played his first Masters 1000 semifinal this season at the Cincinnati tournament and was able to face Jannik Sinner twice.
Although he lost both matches, the Frenchman managed to take a set off the world number 2 in Beijing in recent days. Moreover, the 23-year-old player thinks big and now wants to compete with the world's best players in the future.
"When I was training in Dubai before starting the Asian tour, I was constantly thinking about what I needed to do on the court to get closer to Sinner every day.
The match in Beijing showed me that I could win a set against him, but at the same time, I wasn't ready yet to beat him in three sets. It proved to me that I was doing things right, because it was a better result than the previous time.
It's important to keep in mind that for me, no one is invincible, even though there's a lot of work to do if I want to beat him. It's essential to aim high. I'm not focusing on getting into the top 50, 40, or 30, but on becoming a better player and a better person every day.
In Cincinnati, I beat Holger (Rune) and Taylor (Fritz). I know they're better than me, but I can beat them. Jannik (Sinner) is also better than me, but for now, I can't beat him. That's why I was so motivated at the idea of playing him again.
I wanted to prove to myself that I could make my mark on a big stage by winning a set. I will continue to give my best, because my goal is to one day be able to beat players like Jannik and Carlos (Alcaraz). That's the main goal I have in mind," Atmane assured Tennis World Italia.
