Moise Kouame, 17, seeks Monte-Carlo spark, inspired by Richard Gasquet | ATP Tour

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Kouame, 17, seeks Monte-Carlo spark inspired by Gasquet

17-year-old Frenchman makes his debut this week on the clay ATP Masters 1000 occasion

April 05, 2026

Moise Kouame arrives on the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters as one of many brightest younger skills within the recreation and hopes to emulate a dream teenage run as soon as produced on these identical courts by his mentor, Richard Gasquet.

The 17-year-old Frenchman broke via final month by incomes his first ATP Tour win in Miami and turning into the youngest match winner at ATP Masters 1000 stage since Rafael Nadal in 2003. Kouame, who performs with elasticity and environment friendly ball placing, now has his sights on a debut on the season’s first clay Masters 1000 occasion in Monaco, the place he acquired a wild card into the principle draw.

“I’m going to try and do my best here,” Kouame advised ATP Media in a pre-tournament interview in Monaco. “It’s unbelievable. During the first training, I couldn’t believe that I was actually here. But very quickly, I had to switch on. I have to be as ready as possible.”

This 12 months, Kouame has acquired recommendation from countryman and former World No. 7 Gasquet, who retired in 2025. Their relationship is especially resonant throughout Kouame’s first foray in Monte-Carlo given Gasquet’s personal historical past at this event.

Gasquet, then simply 15 years and 10 months previous, arrived in Monte-Carlo in April 2002 as a qualifier and, on the time, grew to become the youngest match winner in Masters 1000 historical past by defeating Franco Squillari in his first match.

Then as an 18-year-old in 2005, Gasquet returned to provide a memorable breakthrough by surging to the semi-finals, highlighted by a surprising quarter-final upset over World No. 1 Roger Federer in three units. The Frenchman then bowed out to eventual champion Rafael Nadal within the final 4 after taking the opener.

Gasquet would go on to succeed in the quarter-finals within the Principality on three additional events — in 2007, 2013 and 2018 — ending with a 19-12 event document, in keeping with the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Two a long time on, Kouame, with the advantage of direct perception from somebody who has already navigated its distinctive pressures and prospects, will hope to emulate Gasquet’s teenage achievement.

If Kouame can navigate his first-round conflict with countryman Ugo Humberthe’ll face a popcorn assembly with World No. 2 Jannik Sinner. At a career-high World No. 328, Kouame is the youngest participant contained in the Top 800 of the PIF ATP Rankings, additional cementing his standing as one of many rising stars.

In February, he certified for his first tour-level foremost draw on residence soil in Montpellier, the place he supplied a glimpse of his potential earlier than asserting himself in Miami. There, he grew to become the primary participant born in 2009 or later to win an ATP Tour match, and later received a congratulatory message from his idol Novak Djokovic.

Get To Know: Moise Kouame

With his early leads to 2026, which additionally embody a run to the semi-finals of an ATP Challenger, Kouame has positioned himself as one of many standout names of the #NextGenATP cohort.

Monte-Carlo, then, represents an opportunity to construct on a breakout 12 months, to check himself towards elite opposition, and to proceed shaping an id on the highest stage of the game. Perhaps, it is a chance to start writing a narrative that echoes the previous, whereas finally forging one thing fully his personal.