Who is 16-year-old Moise Kouame?
Moise Kouame has caught the attention of the tennis world this week. The 16-year-old became the sixth-youngest man to qualify for an ATP Tour event since 2000 at the Open Occitanie.
What should you know about the fast-rising French teenager? Read on to learn more about Kouame.
Where It All Started
Kouame began playing tennis aged six with his older brother Michael. A fan of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, Kouame considers the Serbian his idol. Kouame, a native of Sarcelles, France in the northern suburbs of Paris, trained at the National Tennis Center in Poitiers.
Need For Speed
Away from the court, Kouame enjoys F1 and golf. Kouame’s dream job is to be an F1 driver. He supports Red Bull Racing’s F1 team and also likes footballer Lionel Messi. His other hobbies include playing PlayStation, golf, chess and Skyjo.
Pop Culture Picks
Kouame’s favourite superhero is The Flash. While naming Harry Potter as his favourite movie, Kouame also enjoys TV shows Drive To Survive and Top Gear. His favourite actor is Damson Idris. His favourite musician is Michael Jackson.
Montpellier Milestone
The No. 552 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Kouame will make his main-draw debut in Montpellier against eighth seed and last year’s finalist Aleksandar Kovacevic. Kouame, a wild card in the qualifying draw, needed a deciding set in both of his wins. He beat Elias Ymer 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the opening round before ousting Clement Chidekh 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-3.
Click here to view the list of the six youngest men to qualify for an ATP Tour event this century, which includes Richard Gasquet, Rafael Nadal and Kouame.
Rankings Rise
Kouame is the youngest player in the Top 1,000 of the PIF ATP Rankings. He began the year at World No. 833 and has since surged nearly 300 places. In January, Kouame captured two ITF World Tennis Tour titles on home soil.