ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2026

Moise Kouame

Press Conference

^ MOISE KOUAME

A. TABILO/M. Kouame

4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Moise, that was a close match. Can you tell us how you feel about this match and the week overall?

MOISE KOUAME: Yes, it was a very close match. Yeah, great week for me here in Roland Garros. A lot of positive things that I have learned about me.

Yeah, today was a big match, big fight for me. I tried to stay on him on the fourth set, and actually it worked, because I got the tiebreak at the end, and then in the tiebreak, it was really close. Small details.

But yeah, I'm really happy with the week I have had. Yeah, looking for more in the future.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. What do you think are the most important things that you have learned about yourself this week and what you have learned about what it takes to compete at this level and win?

MOISE KOUAME: Well, I think what I have learned about myself is physically I can hold long matches and kind of having multiple matches, you know. For sure, it's tough to play this kind of level multiple times and in, how do you say, a full match like this, it's tough physically, but I think with, yeah, a couple more matches like this in my experience back, I think it will be more and more easier. I will try and find ways to maybe make the matches shorter, or if they're longer, find some things that can make me win those matches.

Yeah, for sure in terms of experience, I think I cannot do more. I have had a three-set match, I have had five hours' match, I've had four sets with a lot of stress, you know, in this match.

So, yeah, it was a full week for me in terms of experience. Yeah, I'm really happy about that.

Q. Can you just talk about the stress? I just wondered how it manifests in your body, those kind of nerves, not necessarily for this match but throughout the tournament. What are the symptoms you're feeling and how you cope with that?

MOISE KOUAME: I was kind of happy, because during matches, I didn't feel cramps almost at all. That was a big question obviously at the start of tournament, if I'm playing long matches for three hours, will my body be able to, you know, to keep this.

The answer is yes, so it's a really positive answer for me and for the team.

But, yeah, you know, in matches, there is always this factor of stress. Today it was mostly in the tiebreak where I served a couple match points, and you know, I had to do something more to provide myself a set point, but yeah, I think it's good, you know, to have stress in match. It means that you are doing good. That means adrenaline is keeping you in good shape.

And today, sadly, I couldn't transform this adrenaline on the win, but next time I'm sure it will be.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Now, at the end of the fourth set, it was very intense. Were you really looking for a fifth set? Because the crowd was with you. Were you really willing to play a fifth set this evening?

MOISE KOUAME: Interesting question. I really, really wanted to try, to try another five-setter. And I was feeling that the crowd was getting, like, supporting me more and more. I was trying to suck in all of their positive energy.

It didn't work, unfortunately. But in the future, that's a good thing, because when the crowd is with me, it can make me perhaps push back the limits, my limits. It's something good. I'm very happy about this.

Q. Congratulations for this tournament. Now, what about this loss? I suppose you're sad, and that's normal. But yet, you have reached that round. What type of loser are you? Can you overcome a loss quickly, or would you think about this for a little while?

MOISE KOUAME: Well, once you've lost, you're always a bit disappointed. 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.

Today I lost. Maybe tomorrow I'll be winning, and I'm happy because I played well. I made interesting things during the week, so it's not a loss that poses me a problem. 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. To answer your question, I'm not a bad loser. I'm a loser who learns from his mistakes and always tries to bounce back.

Q. Now, you're talking about the next tournament. Now, you have been playing on the Suzanne Lenglen Court. It was crazy. Now, what about the smaller tournaments, the challengers? Is that something that you dread, or would you say it's normal, it's part of your experience?

MOISE KOUAME: Yeah, no, that's okay. I can do with, and I can do without. People asked me the same question when I went from Monaco to a 25,000. They said, Is it a tough transition? I said, No. And I won the tournament.

This time, I'm going to go from Roland Garros to Lyon. It's not going to be a hard transition, because I play each match as if the match was the last one. Well, you know, when I play a match, I'm not stepping on the court and saying, I'm in Roland Garros or Lyon or in Italy. No, I want to have clear objectives set with my team beforehand. Regardless of the place, regardless of the venue, I focus on myself.

In front of 10,000 people or 5 people, it's the same to me. Well, of course if you have 10,000 people, the 10,000 people would encourage you, will be with you. But if it's only 5 people with you, it's a bit different.

But these 5 people are the 5 people from the team. So the most important ones. And what matters is that they are still with me. As long as they're with me, no problems.

Q. Congratulations, Moise, despite this loss. Now, given the way you played here, do you perhaps now to have more ambitious objectives? Would you say that it's going to be faster than you thought, or do you have any objectives in terms of ranking, et cetera?

MOISE KOUAME: Well, given what I did here, that's good. It's even very good. Well, no, no. I think I'm going to still focus on myself. Then if, after this tournament, I go through a number of difficult moments, that's normal. It happens to all the athletes. If everything goes on well, then touch wood. It's all very nice.

But as I said before, the most important thing is to focus on myself, what I do during the matches, to be happy at Roland or anywhere else. It's always the same.

Well, I know what I did this week, and the most important thing is to continue and play well, practice well, and be good on the courts.

Q. That was your first Grand Slam. You're 17. Three matches. I suppose that now you know that you're ready for this type of world, to play against the top 100 players. However, do you think you have to work on something physically, mentally? Do you have any ideas about this? Because I suppose what you want is always to improve, and that's what's going to make you move forward. Do you have any ideas, hints, things you want to work on when this is all over?

MOISE KOUAME: Well, of course I have, no, not I have, but my team has ideas, so the team can answer this question better than I could. There are things that I did well, but there are other things I'll have to be working on. 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.

Well, you know, 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.

Q. Apart from tennis, there's this thing about being famous. Now the French know you, during the second round. I don't know about today. But everybody saw or watched the match and know who you are. Have you heard about this over the past two or three days? Can you still remain in your bubble, or have you realized that in terms of your reputation and people being interested in you, it's a total change for you? Not yet a star, but at least the French know who you are since the second round.

MOISE KOUAME: Hmm. I don't know really understand your question.

Q. (Off microphone.)

MOISE KOUAME: Yes, people know who I am in the streets, and they know me when I am in Roland.

Q. (Off microphone.)

MOISE KOUAME: Well, there's one factor which is easy, that is, when I get onto the Suzanne Lenglen Court, it's crammed with people. So when I step on the court and it's almost like overcrowded, yes, it's something special.

Oh, second factor? Instagram. Last time people asked me the question, and that's true. If you look at subscribers, numbers, visibility, yeah, with Roland, that's true, I have gone up a level.

But the most important thing is what I do on the court, because all these fans, all these followers, supporters, what they want is they want to watch me put in a good fight on the court and win shots. They want me to smile, and I hope this is what I have for them throughout my career. This is the most important thing, you see.

Q. In English you said you were feeling that you have learned a lot about you physically, that you can take these four-setter matches, five-setter matches, and you're still in form. Have you learned something else about you? Do you think you have been able to tap from reserves that you didn't know were within you? Do you feel that you can now take these types of big challenges, big battles?

MOISE KOUAME: Mentally, I have always known that I was this type of guy who's got a good mental strength. 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. Well, when I was young. You know what I mean (laughter).

Well, I have done that many times. So I knew I could do this again here at the French Open. 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.