Appears like we’ve got one other rising drive to observe on the ATP Tour!
17 yr previous French wildcard Moise Kouame made his Masters 1000 foremost draw debut in Miami, and got here away with a slice of historical past.
The World No.385 defeated Zachary Svajda to turn out to be the youngest Masters 1000 match winner since Rafael Nadal in 2003, and the youngest to EVER win a match in Miami.
Solely three different gamers – Richard Gasquet, Nadal (4 occasions) and Dinu Pescariu – have ever received a Masters 1000 match at a youthful age than Kouame, for the reason that Masters collection commenced in 1990.
| No. | Participant | Age | Occasion | Spherical | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Gasquet | 15 | 2002 Monte-Carlo | 1R | Franco Squillari |
| 2 | Rafael Nadal | 16 | 2003 Monte-Carlo | 1R | Karol Kucera |
| 3 | Rafael Nadal | 16 | 2003 Monte-Carlo | 2R | No. 7 Albert Costa |
| 4 | Rafael Nadal | 16 | 2003 Hamburg | 1R | Paul-Henri Mathieu |
| 5 | Rafael Nadal | 17 | 2003 Hamburg | 2R | No. 4 Carlos Moya |
| 6 | Dinu Pescariu | 17 | 1991 Monte-Carlo | 1R | Franco Davin |
| 7 | Moïse Kouamé | 17 (13 days) | 2026 Miami | 1R | Z. Svajda |
| 8 | Fabrice Santoro | 17 | 1990 Miami | 1R | Marc Rosset |
| 9 | Denis Shapovalov | 17 | 2016 Toronto | 1R | Nick Kyrgios |
| 10 | Fabrice Santoro | 17 | 1990 Hamburg | 1R | Petr Korda |
Kouame can also be the primary man born in 2009 or later to win an ATP Tour match. At 17 years and 13 days he’ll strive his luck in opposition to Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic within the subsequent spherical in Miami.
Kouame, who certified for his first ATP foremost draw final month in Montpellier, is 6’3” tall, and sure nonetheless rising. He received again to again ITF titles earlier this yr.
He informed the ATP Tour that his idol was all the time Novak Djokovic when he was rising up.
Kouamé is of Ivorian descent by way of his father and Cameroonian descent by way of his mom. His older brother, Michaël, can also be a tennis participant.
