Moise Kouame, 17, is looking for the Monte-Carlo spark, inspired by Richard Gasquet | ATP Tour | Tennis

Player Characteristics

Kouame, 17, is looking for the Monte-Carlo spark inspired by Gasquet

The 17-year-old Frenchman starts this week at the ATP Masters 1000 clay event

05 April 2026

Moise Kouame arrives at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters as one of the brightest young talents in the game and he hopes to emulate the dreams of young people who were once presented on the same courts by his mentor, Richard Gasquet.

The 17-year-old Frenchman spoiled last month by winning his first ATP Tour prize in Miami and becoming the youngest winner of the ATP Masters 1000 since Rafael Nadal in 2003. Kouame, who plays consistently and plays the ball well, now has his opinion for the first time in the first match on clay to the first match on clay where he received one card in Monaco.

“I will try to do my best here,” Kouame told ATP Media in a pre-tournament interview in Monaco. During the first training, I couldn’t believe that I was really here. But quickly, I had to light up.

This year, Kouame got advice from the country’s former World No. 7 Gasquet, who retired in 2025. Their relationship is particularly relevant during Kouame’s first season in Monte-Carlo given Gasquet’s history in this tournament.

Gasquet, who at the time was 15 years and 10 months old, arrived in Monte-Carlo in April 2002 as a player, and at that time, he became the last winner in the history of the Masters 1000 by defeating Franco Squillari in his first match.

Then at the age of 18 in 2005, Gasquet returned to produce a memorable success by advancing to the semi-finals, highlighted by a stunning quarter-final upset over World No. 1 Roger Federer in three sets. The Frenchman bowed out to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the last four after opening the match.

Gasquet would go on to reach the quarter-finals in the Principality three more times – in 2007, 2013 and 2018 – finishing with a 19-12 tournament record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Twenty years on, Kouame, with the benefit of first-hand insight into his unique pressures and opportunities, will hope to emulate the success of Gasquet’s youth.

If Kouame can manage his first clash with countryman Ugo Humbert, he will face a popcorn meeting with World No. 2 Jannik Sinner. At 328, Kouame is the youngest player in the Top 800 of the PIF ATP Rankings, cementing his status as one of the rising stars.

In February, he qualified for his first tour match on home soil in Montpellier, where he gave a glimpse of his potential before introducing himself to Miami. There, he became the first player born in 2009 or later to win an ATP Tour title, and later received a congratulatory message from his idol Novak Djokovic.

Know: Moise Kouame

With his first results in 2026, including a run to the semi-finals of the ATP Challenger, Kouame has proven himself to be one of the standout names of the #NextGenATP team.

Now, Monte-Carlo represents the opportunity to build on the season, test yourself against high opposition, and continue to establish identity at the highest level of sport. Perhaps, it’s an opportunity to start writing a story that fits the past, when he finally invents his own thing completely.

Read more from Monte-Carlo
Sinner & Alcaraz’s Monte-Carlo win: What surprising opponents could they face in R2?
How a Sinner Can Become World No. 1 in Monte-Carlo
2026 Monte-Carlo tennis prize money