Rafael Nadal’s incredible all-time record almost broken by 17-year-old prodigy

Moise Kouame, who is only 17 years old, picked up his first win at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament during his main-draw debut in Miami.

Kouame fought back from a set down to beat qualifier Zachary Svajda 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 and move on to the second round.

The teenager is coached by Richard Gasquet, who retired from professional tennis last May.

Kouame also came close to breaking an ATP record currently held by Rafael Nadal with his victory.

Moise Kouame matches Rafael Nadal’s early Milestone at Miami Open

Kouame, aged just 17 years and 13 days, is the youngest player to win a main draw match at an ATP Masters 1000 event since Nadal did so in 2003.

Nadal was only 16 years and 343 days old when he won his first-round match against Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Hamburg Open. It was a big moment, not just for him but for Spanish tennis, as he went on to have one of the most remarkable careers in the sport.

Nadal went on to defeat Ferrero in straight sets that day before exiting the tournament in the second round to Gaston Gaudio.

Now, over a decade later, Moise Kouame has emerged as an exciting young talent. Up until now, he’s been mostly competing in Challenger and ITF events, but this win could mark the start of something bigger.

Moise Kouame sets sights on becoming world number one

Kouame is still at the very beginning of his professional journey, but he isn’t shy about what he wants to achieve.

Speaking to the ATP Tour website, he said: “My goal is to be World No. 1 and win lots of Grand Slam [titles]. This is what I am training for.”

When asked how he first picked up a racquet, Kouame said: “Watching my brother play, I just wanted to play, so I grabbed a racquet.

“My idol was Novak Djokovic growing up. I was just so amazed when I was watching him play, his style and resilience were just unbelievable.”

Kouame’s next challenge at the Miami Open will be against 21st seed Jiri Lehecka.

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