French teenager Moïse Kouamé announced his arrival on the grand slam stage in spectacular fashion on Tuesday, defeating former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the French Open. At 17, Kouamé becomes the youngest player to win a men's singles grand slam match since 2009, and the youngest at Roland Garros since 1991.
Kouamé showed remarkable composure throughout, unleashing a 139mph serve and displaying exceptional athleticism. The crowd of 5,000 responded with an impromptu rendition of La Marseillaise as he moved two sets ahead. His two-handed backhand and defensive skills were key, but he also capitalised on a poor performance from the 37-year-old Cilic, who struggled in the heat.
'I'm 17, and I have won one grand slam match,' said Kouamé. 'I didn't care about his age. I just wanted to give him shots that were as complicated to play as possible.' The victory caps a rapid rise for Kouamé, who qualified for his first ATP main draw in February and reached a Challenger semi-final in Lille.
Elsewhere, sixth seed Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock first-round exit to Adam Walton of Australia, while British No 1 Cameron Norrie retired with a rib injury. Top seed Jannik Sinner advanced comfortably.
