17-Year-Old Kouamé Wins First ATP Match at Miami

MIAMI — Seventeen-year-old French tennis prodigy Moïse Kouamé claimed his first ATP Tour victory at the Miami Open on Thursday, defeating American qualifier Zachary Svajda 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in a comeback win that etched his name into tournament history. The wildcard entrant, born in 2009, became the youngest player ever to win a main-draw match at the event and the first from his birth year to secure an ATP win, advancing to the second round against 21st-seeded Jiri Lehecka.

Kouamé, ranked No. 385 prior to the match, trailed early against the higher-ranked Svajda, dropping the opening set after a competitive exchange. He regrouped in the second, saving key break points and winning 14 of 16 points during a crucial stretch to level the score at one set apiece. Momentum carried into the decider, where the teenager held firm over 2 hours and 17 minutes, saving 10 of 12 break points faced. The victory propelled him 66 spots in the rankings to a career-high No. 385 and earned him at least $36,110 in prize money, surpassing his full-year earnings to date.

Born on March 6, 2009, in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, Kouamé took up tennis at age five, inspired by his older brother Michael, a...