Player features
Kuame’s ‘goal is to be No. 1 in the world’, but first: Miami debut
17-year-old Frenchman previews ATP Masters 1000 main draw debut
March 19, 2026
Presse Sports / Jean-Baptiste Otissier
Moise Kouame is the youngest player in the top 900 of the PIF ATP rankings.
Jerome Coombe
Moise Kouame is about to achieve what many young tennis players dream of: competing at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
The 17-year-old Frenchman received a wild card to the Miami Open from Itaou and will make his debut in the main draw at this level. For Kouame, the youngest player in the top 900 of the PIF ATP rankings, it’s a moment he’s eager to embrace.
“I won my first tournament on tour, which was really fun, and then I qualified for my first ATP 250 event [in Montpellier]”Kouame, who is ranked career-high No. 385 in the world, said in a social media post. “It’s unbelievable to play in Miami right now. Miami is Miami, you know? nothing else [place] Like Miami. This is a very cool place.
“It’s going to be a great experience for me to play against these guys, so I’m going to try to put everything in.”
Kuame’s rise has accelerated in recent months. The 6-foot-3 teen opened his 2026 season by winning back-to-back ITF World Tennis Tour titles before qualifying for his first tour-level event at the ATP 250 event in his hometown of Montpellier.
Now, his fast journey has taken another step. Kuame will kick off his campaign in Miami on Thursday against American qualifier Zachary Svajda in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head event. For the young Frenchman, it’s a chance to compete against the world’s best on one of the tour’s biggest stages.
“My goal is to be number one in the world and win many Grand Slams [titles]. This is what I train for,” Kuame said. “It’s a dream now and I hope it doesn’t become a reality in the future, but it will become a reality. “
Kouame first picked up a racket at the age of five after watching his older brother play, and it didn’t take long for him to find a tennis hero to follow.
“Watching my brother play, I just wanted to play, so I grabbed a racket,” Kouame said of his brother, Michael. “My idol growing up was Novak Djokovic. When I watched him play, I was so amazed – his style and toughness were unbelievable.”
