Atmane and the Pokemon card given to Sinner before the Cincinnati semifinal

Jannik Sinner celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday, August 16. The world number 1 took to the court in the semifinal of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 against the Frenchman Terence Atmane , a match he won in two sets (7-6, 6-2) which gave him a pass to Monday's final against Carlos Alcaraz .

Atmane's Gift to Sinner

Before taking to the field, in the tunnel leading to the Centre Court where the seminal match was played, Sinner and Atmane greeted each other, then the Frenchman took a Pokemon card, of which he is a great collector, out of his shorts pocket and gave it to Sinner for his birthday.

Atmane and the Pokemon card given to Sinner

After the match, Atmane explained the reason for the unusual gift: “In Toronto, I played a Pokemon opening with Monfils and found a beautiful Pikachu. I thought it was the best symbol of Pokemon, so why not give Jannik a card for his birthday? I was happy to give it to him because it's my world, so why not share it with him? It came naturally. I chose the card last night before going to sleep. I thought I'd give it to him before the match and wish him good luck in the semifinals.”

Sinner: “It was a really nice gesture”

A gesture Sinner appreciated: “We didn't know each other, and before the match he gave me a Pokemon card for my birthday: it was really nice of him. He's a truly incredible player, he proved it throughout the tournament. He has great potential, I wish him all the best. Did I play Pokemon when I was younger? I've never been a big fan; it was more my brother who played. There was that game on my phone where you had to catch them; I played it two or three times. Anyway, I'll definitely keep this card.”