French tennis player Moise Kouame recorded a historic achievement in the sport. At 17 years old, he is the youngest player to have won an ATP Masters 1000 match since Rafael Nadal. The win has propelled Kouame in the ATP live rankings as he progresses in the ongoing Miami Open.
Moise Kouame recorded a significant win at the Miami Open
Kouame won 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 against Zachary Svajda, an American player who previously ranked at No. 96. The match, which lasted for a little over two hours, resulted in a significant jump in the ATP live rankings for Kouame. He entered the Miami Open at No. 385 and went up 66 spots, according to UPI.
Kouame also became the youngest player to win a Masters 1000 match since 2003. That year marked Rafael Nadal’s Masters debut at just 16 years old.
“I want to do something even bigger,” Kouame said during a news conference after the match, according to UPI. “I want to win the title, of course. But this will come only if I keep working mentally and physically. But this is the first step. So, I’m quite happy.”
Regarding the potential of reaching the Round of 16l Kouame said, “It would be huge for me, of course,” Kouame added about the potentially reaching the Round of 16. “It would be huge. But you know, I’m not thinking about if I can do something in the future. I’m just thinking about the present, which is recovering. And yeah, going to work after.
He added, “The matches are not the most important. The most important is just to work and to be 100% focused on what you can control.”
Novak Djokovic congratulated Moise Kouame after his win
After his win, Kouame received a congratulatory text message from Novak Djokovic. The 17-year-old said he didn’t know what to answer as he is a long-time fan of the tennis champion.
“I have a small secret… After the win, Novak texted me,” Kouame told Tennis Channel, according to ATP Tour. “I’m so nervous, I don’t know what to answer. He texted me something like, ‘Big match today. Congrats. Hopefully you will go far.’
“Maybe [I should reply]: ‘Thank you, Novak. Thank you, my idol.’ No… I don’t know! Imagine having your idol DM you like this… It’s the coolest thing ever,” he added.
Kouame said he hasn’t met Djokovic in person but hopes to speak to him in the future.
“Novak is someone that I respect a lot, outside of or inside the court,” he said, per UPI. “It’s my dream, obviously, to meet him and to have a small chat with him.”
The men’s final of the Miami Open will be held on March 29.
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