Chilean ends fairytale run of 17-year-old Moise Kouame
Moise Kouame, the youngest player to reach the third round at a Grand Slam since Rafael Nadal in 2003, reached the end of the road on Saturday in Paris.
The 17-year-old Parisian fell to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(9) on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the curtains closing on his stunning Grand Slam main draw debut thanks to the sterling play of the 28-year-old Chilean, who secured his first trip to the round of 16 at a Grand Slam.
“Really happy,” Tabilo said. “I knew it was going to be a tough match – Kouame is playing unbelievable, especially with this atmosphere. It was crazy, I don’t think I’ve ever felt something like this before.”
Tabilo did well to handle the vocal French crowd and Kouame’s ready-for-primetime game. The gifted southpaw turned the match on its head after Kouame took the opening set, powering through the final three sets with a determined cadence.
“First set I was a little nervous with everything that was going on,” he said. “It took me a while to regroup, and I’m just so happy I was able to get back into the match.”
Kouame, bidding to become the youngest player to reach the round of 16 at Roland-Garros since Bjorn Borg in 1973, made things interesting and kept the fervent French fans engaged the whole way.
He stuck with Tabilo and even saved four match points in the fourth-set tiebreak before Tabilo closed the door on the fifth.
When the three-hour and 40-minute battle was over, Tabilo fell to his back on the clay and Kouame crossed the net to congratulate him – a fitting moment of respect after an electrifying tilt.
Tabilo is the fourth Chilean to reach the men’s singles round of 16 at Roland-Garros since 2000 after Fernando Gonzalez, Cristian Garin and Nicolas Jarry. He has claimed his 14th ATP match win on clay in 2026 – his career-high in a calendar year.
He will face either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Brandon Nakashima in the fourth round.
In a beautiful full-circle moment, Kouame gave hope to the French faithful just days after 39-year-old legend Gael Monfils played his final match on the Parisian clay. The wildly talented teenager, who lost in the first round of the junior tournament last year, was the last Frenchman standing.
“It’s hard to believe he could be that good at 17,” said Robbie Koenig, who commentated the match.
The fans were standing as they sent off the charismatic talent.
“It’s crazy, I think it was the first time that I played someone that I’m a more than a decade older than,” Tabilo said.
During his post-match press conference, Kouame said that he won't let his dissapointment linger for long.
"Once you've lost, you're always a bit disappointed," he said. "I'm a fighter, and I always want to win. Unfortunately, you cannot always win, can you? And I know that.
"That's why most of myself is thinking about the next match. I'm thinking about recovering now so that I can play next tournament in Lyon."
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
