Moise Kouame, a 17-year-old, won his first match at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami.
Kouame recovered from a set down to defeat qualifier Zachary Svajda, with scores of 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, securing his place in the second round.
He is coached by Richard Gasquet, who retired from professional tennis last May.
Kouame also came close to matching an ATP record held by Rafael Nadal with this victory.
Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images
Kouame, at 17 years and 13 days, is the youngest player to win a main draw match at an ATP Masters 1000 event since Nadal in 2003.
Nadal was 16 years and 343 days old when he won his first-round match against Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Hamburg Open, marking a significant moment for him and Spanish tennis.
Nadal defeated Ferrero in straight sets but was eliminated in the second round by Gaston Gaudio.
Now, over a decade later, Moise Kouame is emerging as a promising young talent. Previously, he competed mainly in Challenger and ITF events, but this win may signal the beginning of a larger career.
Moise Kouame aims for the top
Kouame is just starting his professional journey, but he has clear ambitions.
In an interview with the ATP Tour website, he stated, “My goal is to be World No. 1 and win many Grand Slam titles. This is what I am training for.”
He shared that he picked up a racquet after watching his brother play: “I just wanted to play, so I grabbed a racquet.”
Kouame looked up to Novak Djokovic, saying, “His style and resilience were just unbelievable.”
Next, Kouame will face 21st seed Jiri Lehecka at the Miami Open.
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