Sixteen-year-old Moïse Kouamé sets a record for precocity by reaching the final of a Futures tournament
- TIM ESSONNE
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Participating in the TIM 2022 edition, Moïse Kouamé was eliminated in the first round against the Austrian Constantin Neubauer, this defeat at the age of 13 did not prevent him from shining on the professional circuit this year.
Moïse Kouamé made French tennis history by becoming the first player born in 2009 to reach the final of a professional tournament. The young Frenchman, who just turned 16 on March 6, lost in the final of the Futures tournament in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday, March 9. Facing Latvian Robert Stromnbachs (ranked 403rd in the world), he lost in two sets: 6-3, 6-2.
An early achievement in the professional circuit
Ranked 1603rd in the world, Kouamé achieved a remarkable performance by becoming the youngest Frenchman to reach the final of a professional tournament since Corentin Moutet in 2015. This successful week of competition in Egypt should allow him to progress in the ATP rankings and get closer to the top 1000.
Already ranked 16th in the world junior rankings, he made a name for himself at the end of last season by winning a Challenger qualifying match. On that occasion, he became the fourth youngest player in history to win at this level, alongside Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
A formative journey across several academies
Moïse Kouamé continues to distinguish himself through his precocity. In 2024, he became the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open junior tournament since 1985. His journey led him to leave the French Tennis Federation in March 2022 to join Justine Henin's academy in Belgium, then Patrick Mouratoglou's academy in the south of France. He currently plays for the Perreux Tennis Club in the Île-de-France region.
With this Futures final, Kouamé takes another step in his progression and confirms his immense potential on the professional circuit.
