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17‑Year‑Old Kouamé Reaches French Open Third Round After Epic Comeback

A nearly five-hour comeback on Court Suzanne‑Lenglen made him the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam third round since Rafael Nadal.

Overview

  • Kouamé completed a 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (10-8) win over Adolfo Daniel Vallejo on Thursday to move into the French Open third round.
  • The match lasted four hours and 56 minutes on Suzanne‑Lenglen in very hot conditions and was decided by a 10‑point match tie-break after Kouamé recovered from two sets down.
  • He had already beaten former US Open champion Marin Čilić in round one, making this his Grand Slam debut run from a wildcard entry and boosting his profile after a breakout season.
  • Coverage has linked Kouamé’s run to Rafael Nadal’s early career, with outlets differing slightly on the exact span since Nadal’s 2003 milestone.
  • Kouamé will face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the third round and his run could raise expectations for his season, increase French support for a young home player, and attract greater attention from sponsors and tournament organisers.