Kouamé: "The difficult part starts now, if I want to play in the best tournaments, I have to work even harder"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 5 Feb 2026 | 18.00

Kouamé: "The difficult part starts now, if I want to play in the best tournaments, I have to work harder." Photo: Getty Images

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Tennis is starting to recognize another name to take into account: Moise Kouamé. The young Frenchman introduced himself to society at the ATP Montpellier after, at just 16 years old, he made it to the main draw. Not by invitation, but on his own merits by winning both matches in the qualifying rounds. He even came close to causing an upset against Aleksandar Kovacevic by winning the first set.

An interesting fact in his defeat against the American is that it marks his first loss of the season, ending a streak of twelve consecutive victories which earned him two ITF titles and elevated him to the 503rd position in the ATP rankings. The excitement has been generated, but now it's time to keep working to climb the rankings and make a name for himself in the top tournaments; remember, he is only 16 years old.

Kouamé himself has set short-term goals after his defeat to Kovacevic in Montpellier, as revealed in an interview with L’Equipe. It's clear that he understands there is much more to be done, but also knows it's the only way to achieve success.

Moise Kouamé knows the recipe for success to become a professional tennis player

"The hard part starts now; if I want to play in the top tournaments, I have to work even harder. I haven't planned out my entire season yet. I will definitely play two Challengers, in Pau and Lille, and then hopefully have the level to play in ATP 250, 500, 1000 events, and who knows, maybe even Grand Slams."

An important aspect he needs to improve

"Mentally, I still need to enhance my attitude. We saw it in the second round of qualifying. There are matches where I struggle to control myself. In the last match, I think my serve failed a bit, especially in the second and third sets. My second serves were too weak, but I believe it was also due to physical fatigue."

A privileged physique at just 16 years old

"Physically, I not only have to last one, two, or soon three sets, but every time I step on the court, I have to be able to endure four or five sets. We still have to work so that my playing capacity is evident after three, four, or five hours of play. This step necessarily implies physical improvement because I need to be ready for what lies ahead."

He knows what he is capable of

"My performance didn't surprise me that much, but it's clear that I have clearly identified the main areas where I need to improve. What I did better, what I did worse. I have all the information to come back, work even harder, and become a better version of myself."

Content despite his three-set defeat

"There was a lot of physical intensity in the first set. Stepping onto the court, I was very happy to receive so much encouragement and support from the crowd again. However, as the match progressed, I suffered a lot physically; the last two sets were really tough. From now on, though, what awaits us is simply beautiful. It's a journey I can't wait to see where it takes me," says Moise Kouamé, who is starting to show glimpses of his tennis at just 16 years old.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kouamé: "Lo difícil empieza ahora, si quiero jugar en los mejores torneos tengo que trabajar más duro"

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