French teenager Moise Kouame became the youngest winner of a Grand Slam tournament, but lost in the first round to Adolfo Vallejo.
Published May 28, 2026
France’s Moise Kouame became the youngest player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Rafael Nadal in 2003 with an impressive tie-break victory over Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo.
Kouame became the youngest Grand Slam match winner in 17 years when he defeated former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round at the age of 17.
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Kouame defeated Vallejo 6-3 7-5 6-3 6-2 6-6 (10-8) in front of Paris’ home supporters at Roland Garros. They supported the local boy until the end, ignoring Vallejo’s attacks.
The 22-year-old, ranked 71st in the world (compared to Kouame’s 318th), bounced back from a narrow second set loss to level from two sets down and almost won 5-3 in the fifth set, only for his teenage opponent to break back.
Whether it was Kouame’s energy first or the crowd’s energy first, the climax almost spilled over into the next game as they were about to calm down the crowd and take points.
Undeterred, Vallejo started his own fire in the scorching Paris heat to keep Kouame and his enthusiastic supporters at bay.
Kouame held serve with two spectacular backhands down the line, bringing the crowd to its feet and sending the match to a tiebreak. The young man responded with the kind of showmanship and swagger that suggested he was a star in the making.
His feat, which rivaled Nadal’s at Wimbledon 20 years ago, was a final break of serve in the longest game of the match, forcing another backhand into a one-sided finale before holding his own game.
In the ensuing 10-point tie-break, Kouame surged to the first five points, but their brave Paraguayan opponents once again proved their resilience by drawing the score at six points apiece.
By the time it was 7-7, Kouame had managed to produce the fastest serve of the day against the ace, but it was just the latest in a long line of party tricks.
His backhands and drop shots were incredible throughout, but it was his crosscourt forehand that put Vallejo up 9-8. Then came the moment to serve and maintain tension.
As the home crowd and their rising star soak in the moment, it looks like Paris’ new love affair is just beginning.
