When 17-year-old Moise Kouame stepped onto Court 7 in Miami on Thursday, little did he know he was about to be mentioned in the same conversation as Rafael Nadal. With his first-round victory, he became the youngest Masters match-winner since Nadal achieved the feat 22 years ago. And Novak Djokovic was full of praise for the young prodigy, applauding him for achieving the rare milestone.

In the Round of 128, Moise Kouame defeated America’s Zachary Svajda in a three-set match, coming from a set down to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. More than the win, what followed next was one of the most important moments of his life. 

The 24-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic, congratulated him on his arrival on the sport’s biggest stage. 

“I have a small secret. After the win, Novak texted me. I’m so nervous. I don’t know what to answer. I’m really so nervous right now. I don’t know if I’m going to answer. Maybe if you have tips you can give me?” Kouame told Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman.

More so, when the message from the Serbian arrived, Moise Kouame was momentarily stunned, left staring at his phone, unsure how to reply to a text from his childhood hero.

“He texted me I think like ‘Big match today. Congrats. Hopefully you’ll go far in the tournament.’ Something like this. But yeah… ‘Thank you Novak. No, thank you my idol?’ No, I don’t know,” Kouame laughed. 

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Weissman further asked whether he had ever met Djokovic before. The answer said everything about what this moment meant. “No, never. It’s my dream. Imagine having your idol DM you like this. Oh my god. It’s too much for me. Oh my god,” Kouame said.

Kouame had received a wild-card entry at the Miami Open, and he certainly did not waste it. His journey to this point has not been an accident but instead defined by sacrifice and focus from a very young age. 

When he was 13, Kouame left home to join the academy of four-time Roland Garros champion, Justine Henin, in Belgium. It was one of those choices most teenagers do not need to make in their lives, one that involves abandoning family, friends, and the safety of the routine to pursue a dream on the court of a different country.

“Being a professional athlete at 17 means a lot of sacrifices. You miss birthdays, parties, normal teenage things. But it’s the life I chose, and I’m okay with that. Leaving home to train abroad was part of the sacrifices. It wasn’t easy, but it was an important step in my career. Being away from family is difficult, but it showed me it was the right decision,” Kouame said in Miami.

At a career-high world ranking of No. 385, he is the youngest player in the top 900. He has already stated his goal of becoming the world No.1. He came to Miami following a fast ascent that has seen him win two ITF World Tennis Tour events and his first-ever ATP Tour at the beginning of this year in Montpellier.

In fact, his R128 win in Miami, gave Kouame a massive boost in the live ATP rankings, with the teenager jumping 66 spots after starting the tournament at No. 385. And the way things are going, he might not be done climbing just yet.

And speaking of prize money, the 17-year-old already locked in at least $36,110, more than he’s made all year so far. Another win would push that to $61,865, and if he makes it to the Round of 16, it shoots up to $105,720, which would top his entire career earnings.

With this, Kouame will now be facing the 21st seed, Jiri Lehecka, in the round of 64 on Friday. And he won’t just carry the momentum from his first-round win, he’ll also have Novak Djokovic’s vote of confidence with him.

Interestingly, for Djokovic, he has often made it a point to go out of his way to applaud the sport’s next generation.

Novak Djokovic Leads the Applause for Tennis’ Young Guns

Last year, before winning his 101st career ATP title at the Hellenic Championship in November, Djokovic has spent part of his winter break training with several highly rated youngsters. Interestingly, following a practice session with 13-year-old Rafael Pagonis, the Serbian shared his thoughts on the teenage prodigy.

“Great to spend time with young Greek star Rafael Pagonis. A future star of our sport. Please remember this coaching session when you win your first Slam,” Djokovic posted this on his Instagram story. 

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For Pagonis, the experience was something he could barely process. “Today I had a dream that I was invited to play tennis with the G.O.A.T. Novak Djokovic,” the 13-year-old said. “He was so kind, generous, and he told me the secrets of his return. Please don’t wake me up from this dream! Thank you, Novak Djokovic, for this out-of-the-world experience! See you soon…” 

Two teenagers, two totally different ages and stages of their lives. Yet it is the same Djokovic who takes time, offers information, and puts his mark of trust on the players whom he believes will be able to bring the sport forward. For Kouame, a text and, in the case of Pagonis, an entire practice. Djokovic’s legacy is not just about numbers, but gestures like these put him beyond the court statistics.