This week at the Santa Margherita di Pula Futures tournament, Moïse Kouamé clinched the title on Saturday against Italian Juan Cruz Martin Manzano. The 17-year-old Frenchman is unbeaten this season in Futures, with 15 consecutive victories.
Moïse Kouamé continues to shine in Futures, the equivalent of the third division of the circuit. The French prodigy (17 years old) won the Santa Margherita di Pula tournament on Saturday on clay, defeating local player Juan Cruz Martin Manzano in the final (6-3, 4-6, 6-3). Against the 575th-ranked player, Kouamé secured his third title in Futures.
Having won in January on hard courts in Hazebrouck and Bressuire, Moïse Kouamé remains undefeated this season in Futures, with 15 wins in as many matches. The young talent had previously competed in the Miami and Monte-Carlo Masters 1000, where he was invited. In Florida, he even won a match against American Zachary Svajda, becoming the youngest player to win at this level since Rafael Nadal in 2003.
Qualifying rounds for the Madrid Masters 1000
For comparison, by losing in the first round of Monte-Carlo to his compatriot Ugo Humbert, Kouamé earned 6,765 euros, twice as much as his earnings from the Santa Margherita tournament this week. In Italy, due to the reality of the secondary circuit, there were no ball boys or line judges.
“I play against an opponent, whether they’re in the top 30 or top 1000, it’s the same for me,” Kouamé stated recently to RMC Sport, explaining his decision to participate in the tournament in Italy. “I try to impose my style of play, my rhythm. The result has the final word, whether it’s a Futures, a Grand Slam, or a Challenger…”
Kouamé will now prepare for a Masters 1000 event as he has been invited to participate in the qualifying rounds for the Madrid tournament in the coming days. Recently featured on RMC, Yannick Noah expressed admiration for Kouamé, stating, “He is the best player of his age in the world. I like his mentality, he is a hard worker, but we must not get carried away. He needs to manage his newfound fame, he just signed a good contract. But he is well surrounded, so I think he has what it takes to succeed.”
