French teenager Moïse Kouamé has claimed his first ATP Challenger Tour title at just 17, defeating American Martin Damm 6–4, 6–7(5), 7–6(4) in a dramatic Brest Open final on Sunday.
Kouamé, playing in his first Challenger final, came through a tense deciding-set tiebreak to secure the biggest title of his young career in front of a home crowd.
The Frenchman recovered from a break down in the third set before holding his nerve to complete a memorable victory.
“It’s crazy, it’s completely crazy,” Kouamé said during the trophy ceremony.
Kouamé Joins Elite Company
At 17 years and seven months, Kouamé became the eighth-youngest first-time Challenger champion since 2010, joining a list that includes Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.
He is also the youngest Frenchman to win a Challenger title since Richard Gasquet in 2003.
Gasquet, now part of Kouamé’s coaching team, watched the final from his player’s box before embracing the teenager following his victory.
The Brest triumph continues a remarkable season for Kouamé, who had already collected three ITF World Tennis Tour singles titles in 2026.
Following his victory, Kouamé moved into the ATP’s live Top 150 for the first time.
Next Stop: Paris Masters
Kouamé will have little time to celebrate. He has received a main-draw wild card for the Rolex Paris Masters, where he is scheduled to face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the opening round.
The teenager is also pushing for qualification for the Next Gen ATP Finals, having climbed to fourth in the live qualification race following his Brest victory.
Reflecting on his breakthrough in an Instagram post, Kouamé wrote:
“That first Challenger victory will be etched in me for a long time.”
With his first Challenger trophy secured, Kouamé now turns his attention to competing against established ATP Tour players in Paris. There will be plenty of eyes on the young man now.
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