In reaching the third round of the 2022 Australian Open Junior Tournament, Angela Okutoyi joined an exclusive club of Kenyan tennis stars who have overcome the odds and given their peers reason to believe that everything is achievable with concerted effort.
On January 25, 18-year-old Okutoyi not only ensured Kenya returned to the Grand Slam tournaments after a 16-year hiatus, but she also became the first Kenyan to reach the third round of a Grand Slam event.
The Grand Slam tournaments, also referred to as majors, are the world’s four most important annual professional tennis events. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. The tournaments offer the most ranking points, prize money, public and media attention. Grand Slam tournaments are overseen by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
The last time a Kenyan played in a Grand Slam tournament was at the 2006 Australian Open Juniors Championship when Christian Vitulli lost in the first round of the main draw against New Zealand’s Austen Childs.
Okutoyi has also become the second Kenyan girl to feature in a Grand Slam tournament after Susan Wakhungu who played in the 1978 Wimbledon tournament.
“When I first heard that I would play in the 2022 Australian Open tennis tournament, I didn’t think I would be in the main draw. I expected to be among the qualifiers but after confirming that I was in the main draw, I was overjoyed. I immediately called my family because I was really proud of that. It was a new feeling because I had never played at a Grand Slam tournament before, and qualifying for the main draw was a dream come true,” said Okutoyi.
On January 25, the 18-year-old trailblazer gave an unforgettable performance at Melbourne Park in her second round match, beating Zara Larke of Australia in three sets of 7 (7)-6, 7-5,6-1 to qualify for the third round.
Larke, currently placed 199th in ITF rankings, challenged Okutoyi’s backhand swings and serve returns. Okutoyi won in a tie break of 7 (7)-6 after an intense one hour and 27 minutes on the court.
After the exciting performance in the first set, Okutoyi who is popular for her calm demeanour on the court seemed shaky in her first two games of the second set, and Larke won two consecutive games in the set inside thirty seconds. Okutoyi lost the set 7-5.
But the two-time Africa Junior Championships winner redeemed herself in the third set, closing in on Larke 6-1 to seal historic victory after two hours and 16 minutes.
Before the second round match, Okutoyi had defeated Italian Federica Urgesi 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 on January 23 in the first round to become the first girl from Kenya to win a Grand Slam Junior Championship match.
Angela Okutoyi during a training session at the Nairobi Club on February 1, 2022.
However, Okutoyi’s hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals were shattered on January 26 when she lost 2-0 to Lola Radivojevic of Serbia in the third round.
Despite showing great promise after her success in the first two rounds of the age-group competition, Okutoyi’s game dropped against her 17-year-old Serbian opponent in the third round as she quickly went down in two straight sets of 6-2, 6-3.
“I didn’t get enough time to rest in the third round because before a point, you get at least 30 seconds to rest. My opponent was rushing me, and I ended up getting a warning code violation because I was getting back to court late.
“It was very hot in Australia. I was sweating a lot and my hands were slippery, forcing me to continuously do my routine which is going to my towel and wiping my hands and face, but it appeared to me like I was being forced to adhere to my opponent’s time, which threw me off balance,” said Okutoyi. She didn’t find time to watch other players in action either.
“Going to Australia, I thought I would meet Serena Williams whom I have always looked up to but she ended up skipping the tournament. I saw Rafael Nadal but we didn’t talk or take any pictures because it is not allowed. Just being in the same vicinity as him felt really good, and I hope to meet him in the next Grand Slam tournaments,” she said.
Like most international players, Okutoyi was not spared of culture shock in the tournament.
“It was strange to see people walking on the streets almost half naked but after a day, I understood that it was really hot. I found Australian English a little intense, with different pronunciations but the food was really good,” she said.
Featuring in the Grand Slam remains the highlight of her career.
“In a way, featuring in the Australian Open Junior Championship has streamlined my vision going into the next tournaments. I hope to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open, the French Open and Wimbledon so as to get to the top 30,” she says.
Okutoyi returned to Kenya on January 29, and was treated to a celebration for her historic performance as Tennis Kenya marked 100 years of existence on Tuesday at the Nairobi Club.
Tennis player Angela Okutoyi (center) is welcomed by family and friends at the Jomo Kenyatta International Aiport after she arrived from Australia on January 29, 2022.
She was gifted an Australian photo book, indigenous scarf and a court-side water bottle by the Deputy Australian High Commissioner to Kenya Linda Gellard. For her exploits, Tennis Kenya gave her a cash token of Sh30, 000.
On Thursday, Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed hosted her for breakfast at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani where Amina assured her of full support from the government.
In the last 14 years, Okutoyi has featured in different tournaments locally and around the world. She has won several awards, including being nominated for the 2019 Sports Personality of the year Awards (SOYA).
Sports Cabinet Secretary Amb Amina Mohamed (left) gifts tennis sensation Angela Okutoyi at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on February 03, 2022 when the CS hosted Okutoyi in her office.
Some of the most recognisable tournaments that she put out an outstanding performance include the Kenya Open, Karen Open, East African Zonals in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, Futures juniors tournament in Egypt, Annual Junior Championships (AJC) in Nairobi, Orange ball in the USA, ITF Under-18 tournament, and ITF/CAT Under-14 Championships in Nairobi. She finished second in the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations tournament after losing to seeded player Bechri Chiraz from Tunisia. In 2019 she was featured in the 2019 ITF tennis women’s tour tournament at Peponi School, and the Africa Junior Championships which she won in 2014 and in 2021.
Since the age of 10, she has been under ITF training centres in Burundi, Kenya and Morocco where she received both academic education and tennis mentoring.
“I have been in high performance training facilities throughout my career. It is a good environment because you get tennis training in the best conditions possible, and you get professionals who plan your events and school perfectly so that you don’t miss out on one thing or the other.
“However, it doesn’t mean that you will automatically be a good tennis player if you are in an academy. You have to fight and prove that you deserve the chance because you will always get better opponents who have never set foot in a high performance training centre.”
In November 2021, Okutoyi broke into the top 100 of ITF junior rankings at position 93. She upset top-seeded Aya El Aouni in the singles final of the 2021 Africa Junior Under-18 Championships in Sousse, Tunisia to win the prestigious tournament. She is currently ranked 53rd globally.
She comes from a humble background. Together with her twin Roselida Asumwa who is ranked 1,610th in ITF Junior rankings, they were raised at Loreto Msongari Convent in Nairobi. Their mother (also named Angela Okutoyi) died of post-child birth complications soon after giving birth to them in 2004, leaving them under the care of their maternal grandmother Mary Ndonda who later took them in from Loreto Msongari Convent.
At only four years old, the girls held their rackets for the first time under the training of their uncle and former coach Allan Tola. Later, they joined Joe Karanja Tennis Association where their love for tennis flourished. “Knowing that I came from a humble background and seeing my grandmother struggle to provide for us has been my motivation to succeed in tennis ever since I started playing the game. Every time I am on the court, I always have my grandmother in mind, remembering her prayers and understanding that my success is her success as well. Without support from her and uncle Allan Tola, I don’t think I would ever get to play in a Grand Slam tournament,” she says.
Kenya’s top seed Angela Okutoyi with her grandmother Mary Ndonga and sister (right) Roselinda Asumwa at their home on Loreto Convent Valley Road on February 6, 2021.
“I made some really good friends at the Australian Open. I met Aya El Aouni from Morocco and Meshkat al-Zahra Safi from Iran. We were opponents at some point, but the interaction I had with them on and off the court was different. We connected well, and shared a lot of interests in tennis and I hope that we will continue the friendship even after we stop playing tennis,” she says.
Okutoyi’s success in the Grand slam saw her get recognition from some of the biggest names in the world, including tennis legend Billie jean King and award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o.
“It was overwhelming to see so many people appreciate my work, but Lupita’s recognition made me really excited. I felt seen and loved especially knowing that Lupita is also from Kenya and has made her name internationally,” said Okutoyi.
She leaves for Egypt in a week to compete in the all-women’s 15k tournaments in Sharm Elsheikh from February 14 to March 6. She will also feature in three junior grade tournaments (J2 Prato, J1 Santa Croce Sull’arno and JA Milan) in Italy in April.
She is expected to use these competitions to prepare for the May 29 to June 5 French Open Junior Championship. She will also compete in Wimbledon and US Open. BY DAILY NATION