French Tennis Player Avoids Disqualification After Flinging Racquet Into Crowd

French tennis player Terence Atmane narrowly avoided disqualification after throwing his racquet into the stands during a match at the Shanghai Masters qualifying rounds. The incident occurred on the same day that Russian player Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from his match at the China Open for hitting a spectator with a ball.

Despite the aggressive nature of Atmane's action, which followed his loss of a point to opponent Bernard Tomic, the 24-year-old was not defaulted. Instead, Atmane retired from the match with Tomic leading 5-3 in the third set, marking his second consecutive retirement in a deciding set during the Asian swing. Atmane had exhibited frustration throughout the match, repeatedly striking his racquet against the net and hitting balls out of the stadium.

Atmane's outburst brings into focus the inconsistencies in tennis regulations regarding racquet abuse. The sport's rules state that players shall not "violently, dangerously, or with anger hit, kick or throw a racket or other equipment" on court. Atmane's racquet throw was described as having more force and aggression than Medvedev's misdirected shot, yet Atmane did not injure anyone.

Medvedev, who was competing in his semi-final match against Novak Djokovic, was defaulted after unintentionally hitting a ball into the stands, which struck a spectator. Although the spectator did not suffer serious injury, he was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Medvedev expressed deep remorse and was penalized by losing his prize money and ranking points earned up to that stage of the tournament.

Critics argue that the absence of injury should not be a deciding factor in defaults, as harsher penalties are necessary to deter such behavior. There are precedents for players receiving lesser sanctions for similar incidents. Earlier in the year, Daniel Altmaier received only a code violation for kicking his racquet into the crowd at the Hamburg Open. At the US Open, Belinda Bencic accidentally hit a spectator, but the umpire deemed it unintentional and she was not penalized, with the decision seemingly influenced by the lack of injury.

The application of the rules also varies between tournaments. Novak Djokovic, who benefited from Medvedev's default, himself received a penalty at the 2020 US Open for accidentally hitting a line judge. However, Lorenzo Musetti avoided punishment at the 2025 French Open after kicking a ball that struck a line judge.

This is not the first instance of Atmane struggling with his temper. He has previously apologized for hitting a fan with a ball at the 2024 French Open and threw his racquet at a Challenger event in Guangzhou last year, incidents for which he was allowed to continue playing.

Following his retirement in Shanghai, Atmane attributed his outbursts to stress and insecurity about his ranking, having fallen from the top 40 to nearing the top 100. He stated his intention to take a break and rebuild his game. He also hinted at potential physical health issues and is considering ending his season early.