French teen reflects on memorable week in Paris

Moise Kouame’s historic run at Roland Garros came to an end Saturday. But the 17-year-old, who was the last Frenchman remaining in Paris, leaves the clay-court major with a smile.

“I made interesting things during the week, so it's not a loss that poses me a problem,” Kouame said after falling to Alejandro Tabilo 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(9). “It's a loss which I'm certain is going to help me grow in the future.

“I have learned an awful lot about myself, and this loss, perhaps, has given me more than the two wins. I'm not a bad loser. I'm a loser who learns from his mistakes and always tries to bounce back.”

Kouame entered the record books on home soil, becoming the youngest male player to reach the third round of a major since Rafael Nadal in 2003.

Up 105 places to No. 213 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Kouame was making his major main-draw debut. He defeated 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round and followed that with a five-set victory against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. On Saturday, the #NextGenATP star battled hard in a three-hour, 40-minute match in front of a packed Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

“It was a very close match,” Kouame said. “Great week for me here in Roland Garros. A lot of positive things that I have learned about me. Today was a big match, big fight for me… I'm really happy with the week I have had. Looking for more in the future.”

Still early in his career, Kouame already possesses a composure and belief beyond his years.

“I have always known that I was this type of guy who has good mental strength,” Kouame said. “I always knew that I was someone who would never abandon. I have always known that I'm someone who can turn the match around, because I have done that very often when I was young.

“I knew I could do this again here. I was about to do it again. It's a near miss, but mentally, I knew that this is a secret weapon that I can use if I need to use it.”

Fourth in the PIF ATP Live Next Gen Race and aiming to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time, Kouame’s run in Paris has him eager to improve.

“There are things that I did well, but there are other things I'll have to be working on,” Kouame said. “As long as I'm a tennis player, there's always going to be something I can work on and improve.

“My serve, maybe it wasn't good enough at certain moments, perhaps the forehand, as well. I made, perhaps, a couple of errors I shouldn't have made at very important moments. My backhand. There are many things I can work on even though I think I did quite a lot of good shots this week. I still want to improve these shots so that I get better and better.”