French Open 2026: Moise Kouame reaches 3rd round, makes records
What's the story
Seventeen-year-old Moise Kouame has made history by becoming the youngest man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since Rafael Nadal in 2003. The Paris-born tennis prodigy achieved this feat at his debut Grand Slam event, the French Open. Earlier, he also became the youngest man to win a match at Roland Garros since 1991 after defeating Marin Cilic in straight sets on his first appearance at a Grand Slam tournament.
Match details
Kouame survives Vallejo scare in 5-set thriller
Kouame, ranked 313th in the world, secured his spot in the third round after a grueling five-set encounter against Paraguay's Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. The match lasted nearly five hours and ended with scores of 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, and 7-6 (10/8). This was not just Kouame's first five-setter but also his third tour-level victory of his career.
Records
Massive records made by 17-year-old Kouame
As per Opta, Kouame (17 years and 83 days) is now the fifth-youngest player in the Open Era to reach the men's singles third round at the French Open. Notably, the record is still held by Michael Chang, who was aged 16 years and 91 days back in 1988. As mentioned, Kouame became the second-youngest player to reach his maiden men's singles Grand Slam 3rd round this century, older only than Nadal in Wimbledon 2003. Nadal was aged 17 years and 20 days.
First round victory
Stunning debut for Kouame as he stuns Cilic
Kouame's journey at the French Open began with a stunning straight-set victory over veteran Cilic. The match ended with scores of 7-6, 6-1, and 6-1. This win not only marked Kouame's first Grand Slam match but also made him the youngest man to win a Grand Slam match since Bernard Tomic in 2009.