ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2026

Moise Kouame

Press Conference

M. KOUAME/AD. Vallejo

6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Moise. It was a very tight match, especially in the fifth. Where did you find the energy to win it?

MOISE KOUAME: Of course, the public gave me a lot of energy to keep going physically and mentally. So, yeah, probably without them, it would maybe be another story. So, yeah, I'm really happy to have them. Yeah, it was a huge support today, so yeah, thanks to them.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. After the first round, Marin Cilic spoke about you, and he said he was very impressed with your composure on the big points and your capacity to play the key moments. So basically about your mental strength and how impressed he was. Is that something that you think you have already, or is it something you work on specifically, the mental aspect?

MOISE KOUAME: You know, on big points you always try to put the ball on the court and win it, of course, but it's something we're working on. There's many things, actually, we're working on. But this is a major thing, because it's really important, you know, when the level is higher to play the best you can on important points, because that's the small details that make me win or lose the match.

Yeah, I'm really happy he says that I'm pretty strong to it, because I've put a lot of hours on training on that aspect, so yeah.

Q. To be able to win a match like that in Roland Garros with such a battle in a tournament which has not been won by many French players, only two in eight years, is it a dream for you? Is it bigger satisfaction that you could expect something that you've always dreamed of?

MOISE KOUAME: Winning Roland Garros is, of course, a dream, but winning all four is a dream actually, you know. Being world No. 1 is also a dream.

I think thinking about winning the tournament is a bit early, I think (smiling). But, yeah, I'm really happy to be in the third round, as well, of course, and I'm going to try my best to win another match.

Q. You used the crowd amazingly. The hand to the ear. I think you maybe high-fived someone at some point. I'm curious, I can't imagine you've played on many big courts in your life, so did you always know you were a bit of a showman, or just coming to these courts, has that just come to you?

MOISE KOUAME: No, actually in practice, I practice those kind of things, you know? On court I'm doing this (demonstrating). I'm the basket for my coach, so...

No, it's something I've always dreamed to do, get the crowd going and making a bit of a show on court, of course, is something I've always dreamed and something that I like.

Of course, doing this on every point is, I think, too much, so I'm really trying to understand when is the right moment to feel the most energy the crowd is giving me. Today, like you said, I did it pretty well, so I'm super happy.

Q. There is a lot of young players playing Roland Garros. You, Joao Fonseca, Rafa Jodar, Landaluce just won. Do you feel that being this young in a huge tournament makes you guys fearless teenagers, and that can help you go to, like, long matches and trying to do the best you can?

MOISE KOUAME: I think I will speak for myself, because I'm not sure what they are thinking.

For me, of course, I'm trying to use this in a positive way. You know, coming out on the court, I know on every match I'm the outsider, so there's not a lot of, I mean, people are here to watch the show. They are not here to watch me win the tournament, I guess. Yeah, this is something I understood pretty much well.

Yeah, of course, I want to go as far as possible, but once again, I think thinking about age is a mistake. I think because, like I said yesterday or two days ago, when you are on court, you are trying to win the match. You're not trying to think about how old is your opponent. That is something I do pretty well.

Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. What were the craziest experiences you have lived through when it comes to the match length and the temperature? Can you compare today's experience to the previous ones that you've had?

MOISE KOUAME: It's actually a nice question. Playing 4 hour and 56 minutes was definitely a first for me. Even in practice I've never played five hours in a row, so I've found out a lot of things about myself today.

Me being able to win such a game means that our physical preparation is good with the team, so let's keep going that way, because if I want to win a Grand Slam tournament once, I need to do it seven times in a row.

So I've done it once today. As I say, the longest journey always starts with the first step, so I hope there will be more steps.

Q. You've just said that you've found out a great deal about yourself. What have you discovered about yourself? When, precisely, did you think about Carlos Alcaraz and what he said about keeping believing with match point against him?

MOISE KOUAME: I've found out some things about the physical aspect that I was able to keep going for 4 hours and 56 minutes. Practice, there is no audience, no crowds, there is no stress.

When I was practicing, it was not as hot as today. So those are very important elements. There were all three of them today, and I was able to push myself beyond my own limits.

Winning this one is all the more enjoyable. I've worked really hard, so I'm being rewarded for my work.

When it comes to the quotes, when you are down 5-2 in the fifth set, there is a temptation to give up. What I've drawn from the finals last year when Carlos Alcaraz was able to come back from three match points down, one should remain confident and should keep fighting and never give up. This is what I've done today, so I'm really happy.

Q. I was wondering whether you had other quotes, other mantras in mind that you repeated to yourself during the game?

MOISE KOUAME: Well, today that particular quote really helped, because there are a lot of quotes available in sports. It's a case of picking the right one to try and win. So that's the one I could think of, because I was in a similar scenario. So I was able to use this beautiful quote, and I hope to have it with me forever.

Q. In February you were winning at ITF level with around 1,000 people watching you, and you were saying back then that you were looking forward to having more people watching you play. So can you explain how enjoyable it was to hear that many people shout your name and how you've freed yourself to play that way?

MOISE KOUAME: I love this sport, because we get those kinds of atmospheres and for the pressure that you experience. I was playing in front of 10,000 people, right? Yeah.

It's not easy, that's for sure, but I was able to draw into their energy because they were there to support me, not to stress me. But it is definitely more enjoyable to play in front of 10,000 people than 10. That's a fact.

I've really had fun on the courts, and this is what actually matters to me.

Q. Further than the crowds, if we talk about Bressuire and Hazebrouck or other tournaments, there is such a gap when it comes to the level of those tournaments. So it's only been six months between those events, so it's going pretty fast. At any time between January and now, have you thought that at some point you'll be ready for the French Open, win one or two games, and be ready for what you're doing today?

MOISE KOUAME: Well, the key is that I practice, I really practice a lot, but before this French Open, to hear that I would have played three rounds, beating a former Grand Slam winner, having five-set games, I would probably haven't believed it.

But now it's actually happening, so I have no time to gain perspective on this. I'm already into my next game. It will be a great game. I hope the atmosphere will be similar to the one we've had today, and I will give my everything to win another game here.

Q. You don't have experience when it comes to those games in the tiebreak when he's making a comeback and the momentum is shifting. What did you use? What resources did you dig in to try and come back?

MOISE KOUAME: From a mental standpoint it was really, really challenging, but going from 6-1 to 6-7, I don't know what I'm thinking, actually, but the only thought I have is I have to give it my everything, my best possible shot to disturb him, but mentally it was really difficult to go from 6-1 to 6-7. I had to remain really composed and to think about the next points. That's what I did.

With the help of the crowd, it was even better. I'm not sure whether I would have managed to stay focused without the support of the crowd, and thanks to them I remained composed enough and was able to win this tiebreak.

However, when it comes to my experience, I just wanted to win. I was not thinking about my age, my experience. All that mattered was running, do my best, and win.

Q. In press conferences before the tournament, you said you were not really well known. You had 40,000 followers before the tournament. Now you have over 120,000 followers. Your name will be on every lips in all the media, the radio. Are you prepared to face this media attention?

MOISE KOUAME: I am not the one to be congratulated for my social media presence, because my sister is managing this, but the media boost that I'm experiencing at the moment is quite enjoyable, yes.

Whether I'm ready, I can't tell, and I will find out when it happens. I'm not really into social media, if I'm being honest. So it's a bit difficult for me to answer this one, because my sisters are to be congratulated, because they're the ones working on this.

But, yes, I've gotten that spike in my followers. I'm proud. It's because I'm in the third round, but the reason why I'm in the third round is because I've trained so hard. Whether I'm ready, I guess we'll find out when it happens.