17-year old Kouamé saves the match from two points down to reach the third round, the youngest man in a major’s last 32 since Nadal in 2003

Moïse Kouamé, the 17-year-old French wild card ranked No. 318 in the world, came from two points away from defeat to beat Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8) on Thursday – five hours of tennis that carried him into the third round of Roland-Garros and made him the youngest man to reach the last 32 of a Grand Slam since Rafael Nadal at 2003 Wimbledon.

The teenager had looked, for two sets, like a player about to stroll into the second week. He took the first 6-3 and the second 7-5, controlling the rallies against an opponent six years his senior. Then the match turned. Vallejo, the 21-year-old Paraguayan ranked No. 71 who had reached the second round when Cameron Norrie retired in the first, took the third 6-3 and the fourth 6-2, and Kouamé – playing his second five-set match in a tournament that was only his first Grand Slam main draw – was suddenly the one hanging on.

Tabilo next

The fifth set brought him to the brink. Vallejo led 5-4 and stood two points from the match. Kouamé saved himself, held, broke back, and dragged the set to a tie-break. The breaker ran to 10-8. On a Court that had spent five hours willing him through, the 17-year-old took it, sank to the clay, and reached a third round that the record books had not seen a player his age contest in more than two decades.

It was Kouamé’s second-set epic in four days, and his second piece of history in a week. On Tuesday he had beaten former US Open champion Marin Cilic on his Grand Slam debut, becoming the first man born in 2008 or later to win a main-draw match at this level and the youngest man to win at Roland-Garros since Dinu Pescariu in 1991.

The third round brings another step up: he will face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, who reached the last 32 without hitting a ball when Valentin Vacherot withdrew with a foot injury — a rested opponent against a teenager who has now spent more than eight hours on court in his first week of Grand Slam tennis.

Roland-Garros 2026 Men’s Singles – 2nd Round

JM.Cerundolo – J.Sinner (1): 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1

M.Landaluce – V.Kopriva: 1-6, 2-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-0

M.Berrettini – A.Rinderknech (22): 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

F.Comesana – L.Darderi (14): 7⁷-6⁵, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

J.Faria – JL.Struff: 7-5, 7⁷-6², 6-2

F.Tiafoe (19) – H.Hurkacz: 6⁵-7⁷, 7⁷-6⁶, 6-4, 6-4

M.Arnaldi – S.Tsitsipas: 7⁷-6², 5-7, 6-3, 6-2

R.Collignon – B.Shelton (5): 6-4, 7-5, 6-4

F.Auger-Aliassime (4) – RA.Burruchaga: 4-6, 6-0, 7-5, 6-1

B.Nakashima (31) – L.Van Assche: 6⁵-7⁷, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

M.Kouame – AD.Vallejo: 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7¹⁰-6⁸

A.Tabilo – V.Vacherot (16): W/O

F.Cobolli (10) – Y.Wu: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

L.Tien (18) – F.Diaz Acosta: 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 7⁷-6⁵, 6-3

F.Cerundolo (25) – H.Gaston: 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1

Z.Svajda – A.Walton: 6-3, 6-4, 6⁷-7⁴, 6-2

A.De Minaur (8) – A.Blockx: W/O

J.Mensik (26) – M.Navone: 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 7¹³-6¹¹

N.Borges – M.Kecmanovic: 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2

A.Rublev (11) – C.Ugo Carabelli: 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 7⁷-6⁵

C.Ruud (15) – H.Medjedovic: 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

T.Paul (24) – L.Sonego: 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

J.Fonseca (28) – D.Prizmic: 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2

N.Djokovic (3) – V.Royer: 6-3, 6-2, 6⁷-7², 6-3

A.Michelsen – N.Basavareddy: 7-6⁵, 7⁷-6³, 3-6, 6-3

R.Jodar (27) – J.Duckworth: 6-1, 6⁵-7⁷, 6-4, 7-5

TA.Tirante – A.Davidovich Fokina (21): 4-6⁶, 7⁷-6, 6-1, 6-3

P.Carreno Busta – T.Kokkinakis: 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (Ab.)

K.Khachanov (13) – M.Trungelliti: 7⁷-6⁵, 5-7, 6-1, 7⁷-6⁵

J.De Jong – F.Cina: 6-3, 6-1, 6-3

Q.Halys – U.Humbert (32): 6-4, 7-6⁸, 7¹⁰-6

A.Zverev (2) – T.Machac: 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Men’s Singles – 3rd Round (upcoming)

JM.Cerundolo vs M.Landaluce

M.Berrettini vs F.Comesana

J.Faria vs F.Tiafoe (19)

M.Arnaldi vs R.Collignon

F.Auger-Aliassime (4) vs B.Nakashima (31)

M.Kouame vs A.Tabilo

F.Cobolli (10) vs L.Tien (18)

F.Cerundolo (25) vs Z.Svajda

A.De Minaur (8) vs J.Mensik (26)

N.Borges vs A.Rublev (11)

C.Ruud (15) vs T.Paul (24)

J.Fonseca (28) vs N.Djokovic (3)

A.Michelsen vs R.Jodar (27)

TA.Tirante vs P.Carreno Busta

K.Khachanov (13) vs J.De Jong

Q.Halys vs A.Zverev (2)