At just 17 years old, Moïse Kouamé became the youngest male player to win a French Open match since 1991 by defeating former US Open champion Marin Čilić at Roland Garros.
Like many African teenagers breaking records on the global stage, Kouamé has once again proven that our blood, our excellence, and our unbreakable spirit will continue to reshape global sports.
Moïse Kouamé was born on March 6, 2009, in Sarcelles, near Paris. He plays tennis while proudly carrying the heritage of both Ivory Coast and Cameroon; his father is Ivorian, and his mother, Suzanne Nsemba, is Cameroonian. 
Kouamé grew up in a large family with three older sisters and an older brother, Michaël, who also plays tennis. His mother has been a driving force in his journey, and like so many African mothers, she is fierce, supportive, and visionary.
Standing 6’3” with a lethal serve that has already clocked 223 km/h, Moïse Kouamé moves with the grace and power Africans are known for on the world stage.
About Moïse Kouamé’s Historic Wins
Moïse Kouamé won his historic first-round match at Roland Garros on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Stepping onto Court Simonne-Mathieu in Paris, the 17-year-old delivered a masterclass against a seasoned veteran, defeating 37-year-old Marin Čilić in a straight-sets demolition that sent shockwaves through the tennis world.
With this monumental victory, Kouamé became the:
- Youngest male to win a French Open match since 1991;
- Youngest player to win any Grand Slam match since Bernard Tomic in 2009;
- First player born in 2009 or later to claim a Grand Slam main-draw victory.
He didn’t stop there. On May 28, Kouamé survived an epic, nearly five-hour second-round thriller against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. Proving that age is truly just a number, the teenager battled through five sets to secure a spot in the third round of his debut Grand Slam, making him the youngest man to achieve that feat since a teenage Rafael Nadal in 2003.
Having only turned professional in 2025, Kouamé has been climbing the ATP rankings at lightning speed. His dynamic all-court game, fierce mental toughness, and maturity far beyond his years already have coaches, fans, and analysts calling him one of the brightest prospects in modern men’s tennis. This latest Roland Garros run follows his historic milestone on March 19, 2026, where he became one of the youngest players ever to win a Masters 1000 match at the Miami Open.
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