Tennis Player Throws Racket at Spectators in Shanghai Meltdown
French player Terence Atmane received a code violation but was not defaulted after the frightening incident during Shanghai Masters qualifying.
Tennis player Terence Atmane experienced a severe on-court outburst during qualifying for the Shanghai Masters, culminating in him throwing his racket towards spectators. The incident occurred during his opening round match against Bernard Tomic.
Footage of the event shows Atmane, visibly frustrated after an unforced error in the third set, smashing his racket on the net cord multiple times. In a more alarming display, he then hurled the racket, which struck the court's railing near the front row of spectators, narrowly missing them. This action led to a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct and a point penalty.
Despite the severity of the actions, Atmane was not disqualified from the match. However, he eventually retired from play shortly before Tomic was set to serve for the match, with the score at 6-3, 4-6, 5-3.
This Shanghai Masters incident follows a previous controversial moment for Atmane at the US Open on August 31. During that tournament, he engaged in a heated dispute with his trainer and was unable to receive treatment for cramps, ultimately losing a match after leading two sets to one.
Bernard Tomic, Atmane's opponent in Shanghai, has played a reduced schedule in recent years, focusing on lower-level events and occasional Grand Slam qualifying. Tomic successfully qualified for the Shanghai Masters main draw but was subsequently defeated 6-3, 6-1 by Matteo Arnaldi in the first round.