Will Moïse Kouamé Collect $200,000 French Open Prize? Rule Explained

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Moïse Kouamé is likely leaving Roland-Garros much richer.

The 17-year-old tennis player reached the third round of the French Open men’s singles tournament after winning his match against Adolfo Vallejo on May 28th. Although this success guarantees him prize money of €187,000 (approximately $218,000 USD), there’s some question about whether he meets the age requirements to actually receive the funds.

On the May 28th episode of the Andy Roddick’s Served Media podcast, producer Mike Hayden claimed that Moïse is under 18 and therefore unable to claim any prize money he may have won.

Okay, so here’s the deal: there’s a French law stating you can’t actually receive prize winnings until you’re 18. And honestly? If that happens, you need to make sure you’re earning interest on that money while it’s being held! It’s about protecting your funds and ensuring you’re not losing out while the government manages it for you. It’s just smart financial practice, really.

After the reports surfaced, Moïse’s representative, Daryl Monfils, dismissed them as inaccurate in an email to Front Office Sports, but offered no additional explanation.

However, just because the athlete—who at their age is the youngest to reach the third round of a major men’s singles tournament since Rafael Nadal did so at Wimbledon in 2003—doesn’t mean they won’t be collecting the prize money.

According to the Civil Code, minors generally can’t manage their own money unless they’ve been legally declared an adult. This means the teenager probably won’t be able to handle the funds directly, but his parents can access them.

French law states that parents are legally responsible for managing their child’s affairs. If both parents share custody, they both have this responsibility. Otherwise, the parent who has custody is the one legally responsible.

Moïse credits his family, especially his mother, Suzanne Nsemba, and his brother Michaël Kouamé (who is also a tennis player), with providing him with the most support.

He recently told ATP Media that his mother is a huge inspiration to him. She’s overcome many challenges, and he’s thrilled she’s with him in Monte-Carlo while he competes in a major tournament.

He also mentioned his brother, who first got him into tennis. And of course, he’s grateful for his dad and sister. He says his family is his biggest support system.

Moïse is particularly thankful and intends to continue playing on the court for as long as he can.

He said it felt like love at first sight. It wasn’t something he pursued intentionally; it started as a casual connection. But he knew things had become serious when he started thinking about a long-term future with the other person – and realized he wanted that for the next 30 or 40 years.

With Moïse’s match against Alejandro Tabilo coming up on May 30th, we’re taking a look at how much other athletes earn.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s earnings are legendary, often setting the standard for top athletes. He consistently ranks as one of the highest-paid players in the world. In June 2025, Ronaldo extended his contract with Al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia for two years. Although the exact amount wasn’t made public, reports suggest he initially earned around $200 million per year when he joined the team in 2022, after leaving Manchester United.

Lionel Messi started his career with Inter Miami CF with a substantial contract. According to the MLS Players Association, the Argentine star, who signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with David Beckham’s team in 2023 after playing for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, will earn an average of over $20.4 million per year, including a base salary of $12 million.

Despite progress towards equal pay, a significant gap remains between the earnings of male and female athletes. For example, the 2025 list of the top 50 highest-paid athletes published by Forbes included no women.

Alex Morgan, who retired from soccer in 2024, ranked 16th on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid female athletes last year. They estimated she earned $600,000 from playing and $7 million through endorsements in 2024.

While steps have been taken to close the gap – notably, U.S. Soccer equalizing World Cup prize money for its men’s and women’s teams – achieving true pay equity still requires considerable effort.

Caitlin Clark, the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, signed a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever. According to reports, the contract is worth $338,056, with a rookie salary of $76,535. This relatively low figure surprised many, especially when compared to the much higher salaries of NBA players. Beyond her team contract, Clark has secured significant endorsement deals, including a $28 million partnership with Nike.

Stephen Curry was the highest-paid NBA player for the 2025-2026 season, earning $59.6 million, according to ESPN. The Golden State Warriors then secured his future with the team by signing him to a $62.6 million contract extension through 2027, as confirmed by his agent to CNBC in August 2024.

Oh my gosh, can we talk about LeBron James for a second? Seriously, the man is incredible! Not only is he dominating on the court, but he’s absolutely killing it financially. Apparently, ESPN says he raked in a whopping $52.6 million just during the 2025-2026 season! Like, he’s dunking on everyone AND depositing all that cash! It’s just… perfection.

Coco Gauff is making waves both on and off the tennis court. In 2024, Forbes ranked her as the highest-paid female athlete, with total earnings of $34.4 million – $9.4 million from playing and $25 million from endorsements and other ventures.

Naomi Osaka is also proving successful with her sponsorships and endorsements. According to Forbes, she earned approximately $12.9 million in 2024, with a significant $12 million coming from sources other than prize money from her tennis matches.

Oh my gosh, Simone Biles isn’t just a gold medalist, she’s a GOLDEN earner! I just saw that Forbes says she made a whopping $11.2 million this year! And get this – almost all of it, like $11 million, didn’t even come from winning! It’s from endorsements and everything else – she’s seriously a powerhouse! I’m so proud of her, not just for her incredible gymnastics, but for being a total success story!

Wondering how much Travis Kelce earns playing for the Kansas City Chiefs? He signed a three-year contract worth $57.7 million, as reported by several sources.

Patrick Mahomes, his teammate, received a substantial contract from the Chiefs in 2020. Worth $450 million over 10 years, the deal was confirmed by his agency, Equity Sports.

The Buffalo Bills made sure to secure quarterback Josh Allen with a new contract. In March 2025, he signed a six-year deal worth $330 million, with $250 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport.

Russell Wilson has joined the New York Giants. After playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers, the quarterback signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Giants in March 2025. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo reported that Wilson could earn up to $21 million with performance-based incentives.

Aaron Rodgers is now the Steelers’ quarterback, having previously played for the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers. He’ll be wearing number 8, but his contract is substantial. He signed a one-year deal in June 2025 worth $13.65 million, with $10 million guaranteed. He could potentially earn up to $19.5 million more through performance-based incentives, according to NFL Network’s Rapoport and Pelissero.

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2026-05-29 23:48