Moise Kouame made tennis history Thursday in his Miami Open debut, becoming the youngest player since Rafael Nadal to win a Masters-level event.

Frenchman Moise Kouame speaks to reporters at a 2026 Miami Open news conference Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Alex Butler/UPI UPI

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 19 (UPI) -- Moise Kouame unlocked his phone screen Thursday and read just one message after the biggest win of his career. His mind froze and he was smothered by nerves when thinking of how to respond to the congratulatory words from Novak Djokovic, his tennis idol.

The Frenchman, fresh off his 17th birthday, will have plenty of time to think of the perfect response. But first, he'll shift his focus onto how to follow the exploits of his ATP Masters 1000 main-draw debut, a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over No. 96 Zachary Svajda of the United States in Miami Gardens, Fla.

With the Round of 128 Miami Open victory, Kouame also became the youngest player to win a Masters 1000 match since 2003, when a 16-year-old Rafael Nadal won in his Masters debut.

"I want to do something even bigger," Kouame, a wildcard entrant, said at his post-match news conference. "I want to win the title, of course. But this will come only if I keep working mentally and physically. But this is the first step. So, I'm quite happy."

Kouame, who turned 17 on March 6, edged his first-round foe 11-9 in aces and saved 10 of the dozen break points he faced. He also converted 3 of 4 break point chances. He logged 32 errors, compared to Svajda's 48.

He battled cramps throughout the 2-hour, 18-minute match, but found form after dropping the first set.

With the victory, Kouame jumped 66 spots in the ATP live rankings. He entered the tournament ranked No. 385 and could continue to rise over the next two weeks.

He also is guaranteed to take home at least $36,110, more prize money that he has earned in total this year. That total would climb to $61,865 with another victory and soar to $105,720 -- surpassing his career earnings -- if he reaches the Round of 16.

Kouame will take on No. 22 Jiri Lehecka of Czechia in a Round of 64 match Friday.

"It would be huge for me, of course," Kouame said. "It would be huge. But you know, I'm not thinking about if I can do something in the future. I'm just thinking about the present, which is recovering. And yeah, going to work after.

"The matches are not the most important. The most important is just to work and to be 100% focused on what you can control."

Kouame said he hasn't yet had a chance to meet Djokovic, the most decorated men's tennis player in history, but he can take appreciate that the tennis great noticed his monumental victory despite withdrawing before the tournament with a shoulder injury.

"Novak is someone that I respect a lot, outside of or inside the court," Kouame said. "It's my dream, obviously, to meet him and to have a small chat with him."

The 2026 Miami Open men's singles final will be held March 29 at Hard Rock Stadium.