PARIS — The crowd erupted as French sensation Moïse Kouamé secured his spot in the third round of the French Open, triumphing over Adolfo Daniel Vallejo with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) on Thursday.
At just 17 years old, Kouamé showcased remarkable resilience on the sunlit Court Suzanne-Lenglen, battling for nearly five hours. He came back from a 5-3 deficit in the fifth set to reach a nail-biting tiebreaker, even fighting back after trailing 8-7.
His victory sealing drop shot grazed off Vallejo’s racket, only to tumble into the net, securing Kouamé’s place in the next round.
Overcome with emotion, Kouamé fell back on the court before rising to place his hands on his head, astonished by the moment. He then proudly thumped his chest, acknowledging the electrified crowd as the unseeded player celebrated an unforgettable win.
He sank into his chair, a towel draped over his head, as jubilant fans chanted “Merci Moïse, Merci Moïse” at Roland Garros.
Before addressing the ecstatic crowd, Kouamé doubled over from cramps, dousing himself with water to cool off.
“This victory is for all of you,” he declared to the audience. “Thank you for your support because, without you, I wouldn’t have pulled this off. You have no idea how much your cheers lifted me, especially when I was behind at 5-3 in the fifth set. I never lost hope.”
Kouamé’s next challenge will be against Chilean ace Alejandro Tabilo.
Earlier in the tournament, Kouamé made history by becoming the first man born in 2008 or later to win a Grand Slam match, defeating Marin Cilic in straight sets.
Cilic, a 2014 U.S. Open champion and two-time finalist, was taken aback by Kouamé’s focus during critical moments of their match.
In March, Kouamé also made headlines by becoming the youngest player to win a match at the Miami Masters, receiving accolades from none other than 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.
