Moise Kouame’s surprise run at Roland Garros continues with another impressive win
Moise Kouame has already made a name for himself with his performance at Roland Garros, and now he’s added another highlight to his run.
Kouame became the youngest Frenchman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam since Christophe Roger-Vasselin at the 1974 French Open.
Kouame is in the top half of the draw, which has opened up even more since Jannik Sinner was forced to withdraw due to injury. His next opponent is Hubert Hurkacz, who comes into the match following a five-set win over Grigor Dimitrov.
Patrick Mouratoglou addresses hype around 17-year-old Moise Kouame
Taking to Instagram, Mouratoglou said: “No, we don’t need to talk too much about Moise Kouame. I think he deserves a lot of attention because he’s amazing. Do we need to leave him alone? Yes, a little bit.
“He’s only 17, he’s already around 300 in the world. This player has huge potential. But having potential and being a champion are two different things.
“There is a long way in between, and if we speak too much about those guys, put too much pressure on them at that age, it can affect their future.
Mouratoglou also reflected on the sacrifices young players like Kouame make for the sport.
“He said, my life is no birthdays, no parties, no weekends. I’m missing a lot of things, but it’s the life I’ve chosen. People always want tennis players to have a normal life. It is not a normal life, it will never be a normal life.”
“You’re travelling all year long, not having a normal childhood. But on the other hand, you’re building something very strong. So, I think he’s right. Life is dedicated to your passion and your sports.”
How Moise Kouame could navigate his way to the Roland Garros Final
Michael Chang remains the youngest Grand Slam winner in history, having taken the 1989 French Open at 17 years and 109 days old. Kouame now has a chance to surpass that record, and his route through the draw doesn’t look quite as daunting as it did before play began.
Given a wildcard entry, Kouame will face Alejandro Tabilo in the third round on Saturday. If he manages to get past the Chilean, his next match would be against either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Brandon Nakashima in round four.
The quarter-finals could see him up against one of Flavio Cobolli, Learner Tien, Francisco Cerundolo or Zachary Svajda. Based on current seedings, Frances Tiafoe is projected to be his semi-final opponent if he gets that far.
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