Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s run of Grand Slam wins may be stopped by one player

A new star appeared today at the Miami Open…

With Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominating the headlines, it was a 17-year-old Frenchman who grabbed the spotlight in round one.

The search for the third member of a new ‘big three’ might already be finished. Moise Kouame Claims His First Miami Open Win at Just 17

Moise Kouame was handed a main draw wild card for the 2026 Miami Open, and he certainly made the most of it. Just weeks after turning 17, the French teenager faced off against home favourite Zachary Svajda in his opening match.

Kouame dropped the first set, 5-7, but refused to be beaten on Court 7. He battled through cramps and managed to turn things around, eventually winning in three sets: 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

While it wasn’t a flawless showing from Kouame, there was no mistaking the potential on display. Once he polishes his game further, there’s every reason to think he could rise to the very top of men’s tennis.

The Frenchman’s quickness around the court stood out immediately, and his willingness to go for his shots often left Svajda scrambling.

Though his serve was up and down during the match, hitting 11 aces gave a hint of what that part of his game could become. At 6ft 3in tall, Kouame already has the physical build needed for today’s game. And based on this debut appearance in Miami, he may be someone worth keeping an eye on.

Kouame could be the ‘big three’ answer that tennis is searching for

If Alcaraz and Sinner haven’t heard of Kouame yet, they soon will… The world’s top two players have dominated since early in the season, with no other player coming close right now.

There have been talks about challengers closing that gap, like Alexander Zverev or Felix Auger-Aliassime, but even they look like long shots at best.

If anyone is going to stop them now, then maybe it will take someone entirely new – someone they’ve never faced before, like Moise Kouame.

His fearlessness paired with raw talent might just be enough not only to challenge but also potentially unseat both Alcaraz & Sinner someday down the line, though admittedly we are still talking years away here, regardless, though keep an ear out because you’ll likely hear more about this young Frenchman moving forward than ever before…

Moise Kouame sets sights on top ranking and Grand Slam titles

Speaking to the ATP Tour website before his Miami Open debut, Kouame spoke openly about his ambitions.

“My goal is to be world number one and win lots of Grand Slam [titles]. This is what I am training for,” he said.

“Now it’s a dream, and I hope later it won’t be, but it will be real.”

Kouame isn’t just talking big; he’s putting in the work behind the scenes, too. Earlier this year, French tennis veteran Richard Gasquet joined his team.

Since then, Kouame has made his ATP Tour debut at the Open Occitanie and reached a Challenger semifinal in Lille. Those results have helped push him up to 319th in the Live ATP Rankings.

He could break into the top 300 with another win in Miami, though that won’t be easy. Standing in his way is 21st seed Jiri Lehecka.

The Czech player is seven years older and brings far more experience, having played 209 matches compared to Kouame’s two. Kouame will face Lehecka on Friday, March 20th.

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