Moise Kouame defeated Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, in the second round of the French Open.
The 17-year-old took the first two sets but was pegged back by his Paraguayan opponent.
Kouame fell behind in the decider before producing a stunning comeback to win the biggest match of his young career.
Give us your one wild prediction for Roland Garros!
Later in the day, two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff shared what she told Kouame after the match.
Coco Gauff told Moise Kouame she wished his epic French Open match was three sets
During Gauff’s post-match press conference, she delivered her verdict on the young Frenchman.
“I think people don’t realise how crazy what he did today was,” said Gauff.
“Playing your first five-set match, in front of a French crowd, going up two sets to love, most players, when they lose that lead, collapse, but he kept fighting.
Moise Kouame vs Adolfo Daniel Vallejo – Match stats
| Stats | Moise Kouame | Adolfo Daniel Vallejo |
| Aces | 6 | 10 |
| Double faults | 8 | 5 |
| 1st Serve % | 59% | 62% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 67% | 68% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 58% | 55% |
| Break points | 6/13 | 7/15 |
“I think this guy is going to be a big talent. It seems like he has a good family around him.
“I don’t know him very personally, but I was rooting for him.
“I told him after the match, ‘I wish this was three sets! Because I am here way past where I thought I was supposed to be.’
“But I am glad he won, and I am going to be a fan of his probably for his whole career, for sure.”
Gauff was scheduled third on Court Suzanne Lenglen, but had to wait to play her match, as Kouame and Vallejo went the distance.
Court Suzanne Lenglen order of play – Thursday
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score | Match time |
| 1 | Moise Kouame | Adolfo Daniel Vallejo | 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 | 4hr, 56 |
| 2 | Amanda Anisimova | Julia Grabher | 6-0 (RET) | 0hr, 25 |
| 3 | Coco Gauff | Mayar Sherif | 6-3, 6-2 | 1hr, 50 |
| 4 | Raphael Collignon | Ben Shelton | 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 | 2hr, 01 |
The delay didn’t affect Gauff, though, as she defeated Egypt’s Mayar Sherif in straight sets.
Gauff and Kouame can now both look forward to their third-round matches…
Who will Coco Gauff and Moise Kouame play in the third round of Roland Garros?
The world number four will return to take on Anastasia Potapova in the third round.
Potapova, the 27th seed, is in good form, having reached the semi-finals of the Madrid Open recently.
Gauff will likely need to step things up if she is to beat the Austrian, who has already won 13 matches on clay this year.
Kouame, on the other hand, will play Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in round three.
Tabilo will be well-rested, having received a bye into the third round, after Valentin Vacherot withdrew from the tournament.
It will be tough for Kouame to match Tabilo physically, but with the French crowd behind him, who knows what he can achieve?
The young Frenchman will be keen to pick up the win and secure his place in the fourth round, considering what has happened to the top half of the Roland Garros men’s singles draw.
After Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton lost their second-round matches, only a handful of seeded players were left in the top half, meaning we will see a surprise finalist this year.
Seeds remaining in the top half of the men’s singles draw
- [4] Felix Auger-Aliassime
- [10] Flavio Cobolli
- [18] Learner Tien
- [19] Frances Tiafoe
- [25] Francisco Cerundolo
- [31] Brandon Nakashima
Maybe, just maybe, Kouame can surprise everyone and take advantage of the open draw to reach the Roland Garros final.
Yannick Noah was the last Frenchman to win the title, doing so 43 years ago, in 1983.