ATP Tour

Kouame's first pro tournament at 15: 'His backhand was splendid'

Moise Kouame’s historic run is one of the storylines at this year’s Roland Garros. The youngest male player to reach the third round of a major since Rafael Nadal in 2003, the 17-year-old Frenchman is winning over the hearts of fans in his home country’s capital.

Two years ago at this time, Kouame had not even competed in a professional tournament. Flashback to October 2024, and Kouame was making his maiden ATP Challenger appearance as a 15-year-old. Kouame was an unranked wild card facing countryman Jules Marie, a YouTube star who boasts more than 139,000 subscribers.

“It was already tough to beat him, his backhand was splendid, flat, effortless,” Marie said of Kouame, recalling their ATP Challenger match in St. Brieuc, France. “He [looked] really mature. Of course he had some weaknesses that he doesn't have anymore now.”

Now Kouame, No. 318 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is competing on one of the sport’s biggest stages. He ousted Tour veteran and former No. 3 Marin Cilic in the opening round. Then, the teenager earned his first five-set win against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. Kouame will face World No. 36 Alejandro Tabilo on Saturday.

What has Marie noticed in Kouame’s game since their 2024 clash?

“Physically he improved a lot. He was only 15 when I played him, so of course he was not at his best,” said Marie. “He worked very hard. He is starting to be a beast now. [On Thursday] he showed people that soon even the best ones will struggle to beat him.”

Though it was Marie who earned a 6-4, 6-0 win on that October day, that was the very beginning of Kouame's pro career. At fourth in the PIF ATP Live Next Gen Race, Kouame is emerging as a superstar not just in France, but also in the entire sport.

“I feel proud because maybe once he will be the best one,” Marie said of Kouame. “[It’s] always nice to see some players that you’ve played, playing the best tournament in the world. I played Zverev and Rublev when they were 16 or 17 as well.”