Jannik Sinner gifted ‘exceptional' birthday present by Cincinnati opponent; commentator left jaw-dropped
It came to an end at the hands of the dominant Jannik Sinner, would number one and the best hard-court player on the ATP tour. Sinner put away Atmane 7-6 6-2 to set up yet another final against Carlos Alcaraz — but what fans will most remember this match for was a really nice gesture by Sinner's opponent in the player tunnel before they walked onto the court.
Sinner celebrated his 24th birthday the day of the semifinal, on August 16. When the two players met each other in the tunnel, Atmane took a moment to share a gift with Sinner — a Pokemon trading card, which he handed over to Sinner, earning gratitude and an embrace from the Italian man in turn.
A sweet video captured the moment the pair had this interaction — keep in mind this is their first ever match against each other on tour. A later video sees Sinner reveal what card he received from Atmane, and it proved to be an iconic Pikachu card for the world number one.
'I was talking to him a little bit in the locker room. He has one of the biggest collections of Pokemon cards, and I'm very lucky that I got one of his ones,' Sinner said to Tennis Channel in a post-match interview. 'It was just a nice moment before a match, we didn't know each other at all. So, it was a nice moment.'
23-year-old Atmane boasts of an impressive Pokemon card collection, almost certainly the largest of any player on the ATP tour. His thoughtful gesture adds to a week in which he has earned many new fans through his explosive style of tennis and easygoing manner: despite this being the biggest match of his career, he spared the time to share a moment of joy with his opponent.
On the court itself, Sinner didn't take too long to figure his French opponent out despite a tough first set that headed to a tiebreaker. He breezed through the second set in typical dominant fashion, before Carlos Alcaraz put away an ailing Alexander Zverev in straight sets. The best rivalry in men's tennis will meet each other on Monday for their fourth final of the year.
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India Today
39 minutes ago
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Cincinnati Open: Terence Atmane gifts Jannik Sinner Pokemon card on 24th birthday
French qualifier Terence Atmane brought a heartfelt touch to the 2025 Cincinnati Open semi-finals, surprising world No. 1 Jannik Sinner with a thoughtful birthday gesture ahead of their clash. Just before taking the court on Sinner's 24th birthday, Atmane—an avid Pokmon card collector—gifted him a Pikachu card from his personal unexpected moment sparked smiles and a warm embrace in the tunnel before they stepped onto Centre once the match began, Sinner, who won the Wimbledon last month, quickly shifted the tone. The top seed delivered a clinical performance, dispatching Atmane 7–6 (4), 6–2 in just under 90 minutes. Sinner, who has held the top ATP ranking for the last 14 months, was near-flawless on serve, winning 91 percent of his first-serve points and never facing a break point."It's his birthday today so I had to give him a little something. I was thinking last night about what I should give to him. I was like, 'I think I still have some Pokemon cards that I brought from France. Why not give him just a Pokemon card?' I'm a Pokemon card collector. I think this is the perfect gift. If that was my birthday, I would be so happy that someone gave me a Pokemon card,' Atmane said after the on Tennis Channel about the Pokemon card gift, Sinner said, "I was talking to him a little bit in the locker room. He has one of the biggest collections of Pokemon cards, and I'm very lucky that I got one of his ones. It was just a nice moment before a match, we didn't know each other at all. So, it was a nice moment ... The card was a kind of Pikachu. It said 30 damage to itself, so I don't know if that is good or not!"Though the result ended Atmane's dream run, the 136th-ranked Frenchman left Cincinnati with his head held high. His surprise victories over top-10 players Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune marked the biggest wins of his career—and earned him a major rankings boost into the Top the final, Sinner will next be up against Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated an ailing Alexander Zverev 64, 6-3 in the semis.- Ends
News18
4 hours ago
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'Who's That Pokemon?: Terence Atmane Gifts Jannik Sinner Pikachu Card On Birthday
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India Today
4 hours ago
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Birthday boy Sinner ends Atmane's dream run in Cincinnati, to face Alcaraz in final
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