Moise Kouame Announces Himself with Upset Win Over Marin Cilic in Paris

Wildcard Kouame shocks Cilic in straight sets at French Open  

French teen Moise Kouame stuns Cilic on Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros. Kouame, 17, beats Cilic to become youngest Grand Slam winner since at Tomic.

“Coming into this tournament, I didn’t really know what to expect...”

The 17-year-old Frenchman won in straight sets on Court Simonne Mathieu, becoming the youngest Roland Garros second-round qualifier since 1991.

French teenager Moise Kouame made a statement on his Grand Slam debut on Tuesday, defeating former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1 at the French Open. At 17, he became the youngest man to win a main-draw match at a major in 17 years.

Given a wildcard by the organisers, Kouame showed no nerves on Court Simonne Mathieu. He faced a player 20 years older and a former world number three, but looked composed throughout the first-round match.

Cilic, who won the 2014 US Open and reached the Roland Garros semi-finals in 2022, came into Paris ranked 46th in the world. But the Croatian was outplayed by the fearless teenager. Kouame’s speed around the court and well-timed drop shots earned repeated applause from the crowd.

Ranked 318th, Kouame edged a tight first set in a tiebreak after saving two set points. From there he took control and never let go.

“It wasn’t easy. I always try to stay in the present moment and not think too much about the score. Today I managed to do that really well,” Kouame said on court.

Kouame never dropped serve during the match and closed out the win in straight sets.

At 17 years and two months, he became the youngest man to win a Grand Slam match since Bernard Tomic did it for Australia at the 2009 Australian Open aged 16.

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17-year-old Moise Kouame records his first Grand Slam match win 🇫🇷#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/lhTWSSruP9

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Kouame is also the youngest player to reach the second round at Roland Garros since Dinu Pescariu of Romania in 1991, when he was 17 years and one month old.

“It’s a lot of emotion, it’s exceptional,” Kouame said.

“Coming into this tournament, I didn’t really know what to expect. The team and I worked hard to be as ready as possible.”

The teenager is coached by former French player Richard Gasquet. This win was only the second main-tour victory of his career, following his first at the Miami Masters in March.

He will play Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo next. Vallejo moved on after 20th seed Cameron Norrie retired due to injury.

Kouame’s run in Paris caps a rapid rise this season. He has won three ITF titles, which sit at the third tier of professional tennis, and has received multiple wildcards for main-tour events including Miami and Monte Carlo.

“All the experience I gained in Miami and Monte Carlo probably helped me a little,” ⁠Kouame told reporters.

“Technically, I felt pretty ⁠calm. I knew I was ‌ready, and I felt good mentally and physically.”