Who is Moise Kouame? Wildcard makes French Open history with victory over grand slam champion

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The 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame became the youngest man to win a match at Roland Garros since 1991 as the teenage wildcard defeated former US Open champion Marin Cilic in straight sets on his first appearance at a grand slam tournament.

Kouame triumphed 7-6 6-1 6-1 against the veteran Cilic, 37, is also the youngest man to win a grand slam match since a 16-year-old Bernard Tomic advanced to the second round of the 2009 Australian Open.

A night after French favourite Gael Monfils waved goodbye to Roland Garros, the tournament may have witnessed the arrival of a new star in the Paris-born Kouame – who is also coached by France’s former world No 7 Richard Gasquet.

Kouame triumphed in the blazing Paris heat, beating Cilic in straight sets to reach the second round (Reuters)

Speaking before the start of the tournament after receiving one of the eight available tournament wildcards, Kouame said: “It is a privilege for me to be here that young. It’s an opportunity not everyone gets to have. I’m going to try to enjoy it as much as possible.”

Kouame, ranked 313 in the world, won his first tour-level match at this season’s Miami Open, becoming the youngest man to win a Masters match since Rafael Nadal in 2003, after making his tour-level debut in Montpellier in February.

Kouame’s only other appearance in the main draw of an ATP tournament came on the clay in Monte Carlo in April, where the teenager also had a practice session with world No Jannik Sinner.

He is now the youngest man to reach the second round of Roland Garros since Romania’s Dinu Pescariu in 1991, and the second youngest Frenchman to win a match at the French Open after a 16-year-old Thierry Tulasne in 1980.

Cilic, a former French Open semi-finalist who is 20 years older than Kouame, was making his 18th appearance in the Roland Garros main draw. He won his only grand slam title at the 2014 US Open and also reached Wimbledon and Australian Open finals.

According to Opta, Kouame also becomes the youngest player in the Open ea to defeat a former grand slam champion at Roland Garros. He will play either Britain’s Cameron Norrie, the 20th seed, or Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in the second round.

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