Atmane stands firm against Sinner, but the Italian advances to the final
On his 24th birthday, Jannik Sinner had to tighten up his game to overcome Terence Atmane in the Cincinnati semifinal (7-6, 6-2).”
Jannik Sinner, Cincinnati 2025 | © Zuma / PSNewz
Jannik Sinner made sure to wish himself a happy birthday in Cincinnati on Saturday. The world No. 1, now 24, booked his place in the final of the American Masters 1000 by ending the remarkable run of French qualifier Terence Atmane (7-6, 6-2).
It marked Sinner’s 200th career win on hard courts, and his 26th straight victory on the surface — a reminder that he currently holds the titles from the last three Grand Slams played on hard.
Yet for much of the opening set, the two men went toe-to-toe. Atmane showed no fear from the very first game, and was nearly as ruthless behind his first serve as Sinner (78% to 91% of points won). A tiebreak felt almost inevitable.
Neck and neck in the opener
But Atmane’s only double fault of the match came at the very start of that tiebreak, forcing him to chase Sinner despite flashes of brilliance in the rallies (3-0, then 4-2, then 5-3 before closing 7-4). The Frenchman bowed out of the set having produced tennis close to Sinner’s level – and certainly worthy of a Masters 1000 semifinal, far above his usual Challenger circuit outings.
Early in the second set, Sinner showed signs of fatigue, perhaps even discomfort in the Cincinnati heat. But the world No. 1 rarely goes long without a solution. He quickly regrouped, breaking Atmane in the fourth game and again in the final game to seal his passage to the final.
Sinner proved more aggressive on return overall, earning five break points and converting two. Despite firing nine aces, Atmane won just 44% of points on his second serve — a statistic that underlined the pressure Sinner’s return game applied. Seen another way, though, it also showed how closely the left-handed Frenchman matched the world No. 1 in nearly every other department.
Atmane now turns to the US Open… qualies
Sinner will face either Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, his eighth Masters 1000 final so far (4–3 record to date).
As for Atmane, Cincinnati 2025 will go down as a breakthrough week, highlighted by three wins over seeded players, including two top-10 scalps (Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune, after a victory over the in-form Cobolli). The run will push him firmly inside the ATP Top 70 — a ranking milestone he will enjoy once the new list is published in September.
But for now, Atmane must head to New York for the US Open qualifiers. The entry list for the main draw was locked before Cincinnati began, meaning the Frenchman will have to battle his way through the preliminary rounds. For a player who proved this week he can compete at Masters 1000 semifinal level, that challenge comes with its own peculiar burden: the burden of expectation.
