The 23-year-old French qualifier, Terence Atmane, has managed to turn heads with his impressive performance at the Cincinnati Open. Atmane had just one tour-level victory in 2025 prior to his run into the R16 of this WTA 1000 event. He’s currently on a five-match winning streak in Cincy. After defeating the 15th-seeded Flavio Cobolli in the R64, he recently took down Joao Fonseca in the R32 by 6-3,6-4. With this impressive victory against the rising star, Atmane is now all set to face America’s Taylor Fritz in the R16.
Nicknamed ‘The Magician’ on IG, Atmane loves doing magic tricks during his off-time. But let’s now know a bit more about the person who has helped this youngster learn a few tips and tricks to excel on the ATP Tour.
Who is Terence Atmane’s Coach?
Born on 9 January 2002 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, Terence Atmane started playing tennis at the age of seven. Atmane was diagnosed as a person with High Intellectual Potential (HIP). He relies more on instinct than tactics and likes to mix things up on the court to throw off his opponents. In a previous episode of L’Equipe’s podcast Au-dela du top 100, he said, “I have a very instinctive mind. It’s almost impossible to talk to me about tactics: if someone tells me to play once cross-court, once down the line, and once cross-court, I lose all my composure. If someone tells me to play that, I’ll do the opposite, because it annoys me to be told what to do on the court.”
Talking about the person who stood up to take this challenging task of coaching someone as talented as Terence Atmane, then we first need to mention the name of his former Robin Boule. Because he was the one who spent five years with him, and Boule was the one who had referred him to his current coach, Guillaume Peyre. The 55-year-old Frenchman, Peyre, had previously worked with the likes of tennis legends Marcos Baghdatis and Richard Gasquet.
Other than that, Guillaume Peyre coached the Chinese national team between 2010 and 2012. In 2016, he coached the boys and girls of Hubei province. His goal was then to find a new Li Na, the player whose success has popularized the racket sport in China and beyond. So, Peyre has vast experience working with budding stars.
Peyre is known for enhancing Atmane’s mental composure, tactical adaptability, and overall performance on both the ATP Tour and Challenger circuit. He has played a pivotal role in Terence Atman’s recent rise.
Background and Early Development
Terence Atmane is known for his aggressive left-handed game and powerful groundstrokes. He turned pro in 2019 and slowly reached a junior peak of number 12, winning five ITF junior titles. His first breakthrough, however, came in 2022, dominating ITF events in Monastir, Tunisia, with two titles and three runner-up finishes, and winning his first ATP Challenger title in Zhangjiagang, China. In 2023, Terence Atmane made his ATP Tour debut at the Zhuhai Championships. A year later, he debuted at the AO, taking a set off Russian superstar Daniil Medvedev, before retiring due to cramping.
Image Credits: Terence Atmane/IG
Later on, Atmane revealed what Medvedev had said to him after that match. “He was telling me, ‘Keep going, because you are unplayable’. It was something like that — I don’t remember exactly — but it was something like ‘unplayable’. And then after, he mentioned in the interview, ‘Yeah, that guy played like Top 20 for three sets. ‘ He gave me big confidence. Daniil wasn’t someone I knew from before.” Even Grigor Dimitrov had also heaped praise on this youngster on another occasion.
In 2024, Atmane stunned everyone when he got the better of Lorenzo Musetti in R64 of the Italian. Although the Italian gave him a walkover in that match, Terence Atmane had managed to secure the first set by 7-5. Other than Musetti, he also defeated Aussie star Thanasi Kokkinakis in his previous ATP Tour events. He reached his career high ranking of 118 on July 24. So far, Atmane has won five Challenger titles and six ITF titles.
Talking about his coach, Peyre’s mentorship began in Atmane’s formative professional years, focusing on cultivating the aggressive left-handed baseline game and physical conditioning to compete at higher levels. His contributions have been quite enormous in Atmane’s tennis career.
Coaching’s Impact on Performance
Currently ranked 136th in the world, Terence Atmane has recorded significant improvements in his shot consistency, mental toughness during tight matches, and tactical awareness under the guidance of his coach, Guillaume Peyre. Atmane has been gleaming with confidence on the Tour, and a big part of that is because of Peyre.
During a previous interview with ATPTour.com, Terence Atmane said, “When he (Peyre) came to me, he’s telling me, ‘Man, you’re a beast, you’re playing so good, everything’. I’m like, ‘Man, if that guy thinks that about me, it means that there is something. He’s not saying that just for me to feel good. I was like, ‘Man, come on, I have to fight also for this guy on court’“. He also added, “It’s a bit weird to say, but every time he’s with me, I perform.“
Atmane also spoke about how Peyre’s way of talking to him makes him feel a lot more confident, giving him a lot of energy, good vibes all the time, and he also claimed that the coach treats him like his own son. He also spoke about how, in tough times, the coach’s encouraging words and his crazy work with him helped him get back on the winning track.
Terence Atmane is someone who loves wearing his heart on his sleeve, and that’s a trait that his coach Peyre has helped him manage. However, from losing control over his emotions and breaking rackets, Atmane has now become a bit calmer and composed. “I didn’t break any rackets in the past six months. Last year, I broke more than 25 racquets. I felt myself completely changed, and it’s only because of him (Peyre). I’m really grateful to have him every day with me,” he said.
Coaching Approach and Philosophy
Guillaume Peyre emphasizes resilience, adaptability, and comprehensive all-court skills. His coaching approach is tailored to develop Atmane’s strengths, particularly his left-handed play, and to instill composure and strategic point construction that allows Terrence Atmane to handle pressure situations effectively. At the moment, their goal is perhaps to build upon recent successes, climb further in the ATP rankings, and achieve deeper runs in ATP and Grand Slam tournaments.
Talking about making deeper runs, Terence Atmane will be facing the world number 4, Taylor Fritz, in the R16 of the Cincinnati Open. This will be their second meeting after the 2024 Shanghai Masters, where Fritz won the match in straight sets. Can Atmane come up with a big surprise this time?
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