Jannik Sinner Reveals Heartwarming Locker Room Moment That Went Viral at Cincinnati Open

Jannik Sinner has turned 24 in style! The Italian star dispatched the challenge of Terence Atmane to reach the summit clash of the Cincinnati Open. Continuing from where he left off the match against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals, Sinner dominated his last four clash against Atmane right from the word go to set up a clash with Carlos Alcaraz in the finals. However, even before he could celebrate his birthday, the World Number 1 received a special gift from his opponent, which became a talking point at the Cincinnati Open.

While Sinner and Atmane were walking down the tunnel before their match, the latter handed him an exclusive Pokémon card. It was quite a heartwarming moment between the two as Sinner is a huge fan of Pokémon. Subsequently, the two even shared a warm hug before stepping onto the court. After defeating Atmane, Sinner was asked about that viral Cincinnati moment and how his opponent came to know that he was a fan of Pokémon.

During the post-match interview, Sinner said, “I used to play there was this game on our phone where you had to capture the Pokémons, and I do remember that I had it for 2 or 3 days, and then I didn’t play, but for him I was just talking with him a bit in the locker room. He has one of the biggest collections of Pokémon cards, and I’m very lucky that I got one of his ones, so. But it was just a nice moment, you know, also before a match, you know, we didn’t know each other at all. So it was nice.”

Like Sinner, Atmane was also a huge fan of Pokémon and had a huge collection of cards. Further, Sinner even revealed which Pokémon’s card Atmane gifted him, saying, “It was a kind of Pikachu… It said 30 damage to itself, so I don’t know if that is good or not.” Meanwhile, Atmane was honored to get the chance to play against Sinner. Like the World Number 1, he also opened up about the viral exchange before their match.

How did Terence Atmane decide to gift Jannik Sinner a Pokémon card?

Interestingly, Atmane’s clash against Sinner coincided with the latter’s birthday. It was the biggest match of Atmane’s career so far, and he wanted to make it a special occasion. Minutes before their encounter, Atmane had come to know that Sinner was also a big fan of this Anime like him, and giving him the card would be the perfect birthday gift from him.

During an interview with L’Equipe after the match, Atmane revealed, “I went to a Pokémon convention in Toronto with Gael Monfils and thought that Sinner best symbolized Pokémon. Why not give him one for his birthday? I was happy to do it because it’s my universe. It came naturally to me. I chose the card last night before going to bed.”

Later, the two even had a warm exchange at the net after the match, where Sinner wished his opponent to keep going. Meanwhile, it comes down to the clash between two of the best players on the tour right now as Sinner takes on Alcaraz in the final. Who do you think will win the Cincinnati Open title? Let us know your views in the comments below.