What happened the last time a qualifier reached the Cincinnati semis as Terence Atmane prepares to play Jannik Sinner

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Terence Atmane has taken the tennis world by storm in Cincinnati, breaking into the top 100 with several stunning victories.

Advancing through to the main draw via qualifying, Atmane knocked out Yoshihito Nishioka, Flavio Cobolli, and Joao Fonseca en route to the fourth round.

There, Atmane defeated Taylor Fritz, securing the biggest win of his professional career, knocking out the world number four.

Carrying that momentum forward, Atmane took down Holger Rune in the quarterfinals to set up an intriguing semifinal clash with four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner.

Beating Rune in the quarters, Atmane became the first qualifier to reach the Cincinnati Open semifinals in ten years, but what happened back in 2015?

Alexandr Dolgopolov reached the semis in Cincinnati as a qualifier in 2015

Ten years ago, Ukrainian star Alexandr Dolgopolov entered the qualifying tournament in Cincinnati.

Winning the two matches required to advance, Dolgopolov quickly set his sights on securing his first career main-draw win at the Cincinnati Open.

• 2015 Cincinnati Open Q1 – Alexandr Dolgopolov defeated James Ward, 6-4, 6-4
• 2015 Cincinnati Open Q2 – Alexandr Dolgopolov defeated Santiago Giraldo, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Handed a slice of good fortune before the main draw began, Dolgopolov received a bye into round two, as number-four seed Kei Nishikori withdrew from the tournament.

Making a strong start in round two, Dolgopolov took down Australia’s Bernard Tomic in straight sets 6-4, 6-1.

Next up for the Ukrainian was a tough test against 2012 Paris Masters finalist Jerzy Janowicz, who was looking to qualify for his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal in over two years.

In three sets, Dolgopolov beat Janowicz, setting up a quarterfinal tie with Tomas Berdych, the number-six seed.

Picking up a big win, the qualifier stunned Berdych to move into his second career Masters 1000 semifinal.

Standing between Dolgopolov and a maiden Masters final was Novak Djokovic, the world number one.

Looking to produce another upset in Mason, Ohio, Dolgopolov won the first set against Djokovic, moving himself within touching distance of the final.

Staying competitive in the second, the Ukrainian pushed Djokovic to a tiebreaker, but couldn’t quite get over the line, as the Serb levelled things up at 4-6, 7-6 [7-5].

As Dolgopolov fell apart in the decider, Djokovic pushed on to win the final set 6-2, securing his place in the final, where he lost to Switzerland’s Roger Federer.

Dolgopolov never returned to a Masters semifinal, but his efforts in Cincinnati will live long in the memory of those in attendance on Centre Court ten years ago.

If Atmane can produce a similarly impressive performance against Sinner on Saturday, perhaps he will be remembered with the same fondness.

Terence Atmane’s life will change regardless of the semifinal outcome

Atmane would love nothing more than to shock the world and qualify for the final with a win over Sinner, but even if he loses on Saturday, things will never be the same for the 23-year-old Frenchman.

Ranked outside the world’s top 100 before the tournament began, Atmane now sits inside the top 70 in the ‘Live ATP Rankings’.

Making the breakthrough into the top 100, Atmane will now gain direct entry into the four Grand Slam events and seven of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments (except Monte-Carlo/Paris).

Atmane has appeared at just three previous Grand Slam tournaments, having struggled in qualifying over the past few years.

Terence Atmane’s Grand Slam results

• 2023 French Open – Lost in Q1 (Awarded qualifying wild card)
• 2023 US Open – Lost in Q2
• 2024 Australian Open – Lost in 1R (Advanced via qualifying)
• 2024 French Open – Lost in 1R (Awarded wild card)
• 2024 Wimbledon – Lost in Q1
• 2024 US Open – Lost in Q1
• 2025 US Open – Lost in Q1
• 2025 French Open – Lost in 1R (Awarded wild card)
• 2025 Wimbledon – Lost in Q1

The Frenchman will now avoid the treacherous qualifying tournaments and will have a golden opportunity to secure his first main draw Grand Slam win over the next 12 months.

Atmane has plenty to look forward to, but still has work to do in Cincinnati, as he looks to extend his winning run when he returns to the court to play Sinner on Saturday, August 16.