MIAMI – After so much rain, the sun came out in Miami to shine on tennis’s new jewel: Moise Kouame has just turned 17, won his first ATP match and is surprising with his talent and precocity. Novak Djokovic has taken notice.
As soon as the match ended, Kouame checked his phone and saw a message from the Serb: “Novak sent me a really nice message. I don’t know yet what I’m going to answer, but I’ll take some time. Hopefully I can meet him someday — that would be a dream.”
“He’s someone I respect a lot, on and off the court. It’s a dream to meet him and have a conversation,” said the youngest player among the top 900 in the rankings.
The surprising 17-year-old Moise Kouame gets in Miami his first ATP Tour win. pic.twitter.com/aj4naCkTTw
— Clay (@_claymagazine) March 19, 2026
Kouame, world No. 385, made the most of his main-draw wildcard at the Miami Open to become the youngest male player in the tournament’s history to win a match; and, since Rafael Nadal in Hamburg 2003, the youngest to claim a victory at a Masters 1000.
“It’s nice to know that at this age I’m already compared to what strong players did at this age. It gives me confidence, but also makes me feel I need to work even harder,” he said to reporters at Hard Rock Stadium after defeating North American Zachary Svajda 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in a match in which he finished cramping.
“It was difficult to stay strong physically. Playing with cramps isn’t easy, but mentally I took control over the physical situation and finished the match. That’s something I need to keep working on with my team,” he admitted.
The player, of Ivorian descent on his father’s side and Cameroonian on his mother’s, does not hide his ambition and has already stated that his goal is to become world No. 1. “I want to achieve bigger things. Winning a title will only come if I keep improving mentally and physically. This is just the first step,” he said in Miami.
At the age of 13, Kouame left home to join the academy of four-time Roland Garros champion Justine Henin in Belgium.
“Being a professional athlete at 17 means a lot of sacrifices. You miss birthdays, parties, normal teenage things. But it’s the life I chose, and I’m okay with that. Leaving home to train abroad was part of the sacrifices. It wasn’t easy, but it was an important step in my career. Being away from family is difficult, but it showed me it was the right decision,” said the Frenchman.
He will face Czech Jiri Lehecka in the second round of the season’s second Masters 1000.
Follow our coverage at the Miami Open and join our community on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook.
