MASON, OH − The Cincinnati Open has already been a whirlwind for Terence Atmane. Now, the 23-year-old Frenchman is throwing a new sport in the mix.

Atmane, who will play in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals Aug. 14, has been feeding into the love he’s receiving at the Lindner Family Tennis Center with support for the hometown teams.

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Earlier in the tournament, Atmane was seen in Reds jersey, holding a T-shirt with a picture of Ken Griffey Jr.’s iconic swing.

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Following a three-set, first-round win over No. 15 seed Flavio Cobolli Aug. 9, Atmane took a Cincinnati Reds jersey out of his bag and took selfies with fans, according to Cincinnati Open content producer Nick McCarvel.

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That was the biggest win of Atmane’s career until Aug. 13, when he upset No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.

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“I don’t even know the rules of baseball,” Atmane told The Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj after the upset victory over Fritz. “After this, I’m gonna learn. As soon as I land in New York (for the U.S. Open) I’m gonna learn the rules of baseball.”

Atmane has an easy choice when it’s time to pick his favorite MLB team.

Cincinnati has become a special place for Atmane, who tossed his racquet in celebration and covered his mouth in shock after his forehead winner to finish off Fritz.

Atmane arrived in Mason with just five tour-level victories. He played his way through qualifying and now has nine to secure a spot in the ATP Top 100 (No. 93) for the first time in his career.

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Atmane is the first Frenchman in the Cincinnati quarterfinals since 2019. Entering the event at No. 136, Atmane is the fourth-lowest ranked player to reach the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals since the tournament became an ATP Masters 1000 in 1990.

Atmane will need another upset to keep his surprising Cincinnati run alive. He’ll face No. 7 seed and World No. 9 Holger Rune in the quarterfinals on Center Court to cap the Aug. 14 night session.

“Work, work, work. I think there are no secrets about it. I think I’m doing a good job with my coaches right now and I have a great team around me,” Atmane told The Tennis Channel. “What a week, huh? Absolutely crazy.”

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Terence Atmane becoming Reds fan during surprise Cincinnati Open run