Kenyan tennis player Angella Okutoyi yesterday made history for Kenya at the Australian Open Junior Championships by winning a major fixture in her career.
The fast-rising tennis player beat Italy’s Federico Urgesi in their first-round to become the first-ever Kenyan girl to win a Grand Slam juniors match.
Adding to the grandeur of the historic fête, it was the 18-year-old’s debut match at the international event.
The 2021 African Junior champion is now poised to face Australian, Zara Larke, in the second round at the tournament.
Speaking after she arrived in Australia, Okutoyi said she was excited to be living one of her dreams as she hoped to improve her ranking by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
“Being able to take part in a championship such as the Grand Slam is quite a dream. It’s quite an experience because it only comes once a year. I am very happy and proud to be where I am,” she stated in a video posted online.
Okutoyi has been playing tennis competitively since age 10 when she first debuted at the East Africa Zonal Championships.
Currently, Okutuyi is ranked position 60th on the ITF Junior rankings, her coach Thuku Rogoi is convinced that she is going to improve on her position.
“I’m confident Angela is going places and with the opportunities coming from Grand Slam tournaments, she will become a better player and I believe she will move up the rankings,” he stated.
In a statement by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) on their official Twitter account, the association stated that the Kenyan teenager had made history to become the first Kenyan woman to win a match in the Grand Slam Juniors tournament.
“Two historic milestones in the Australian Open juniors today…Angella Okutoyi became the 1st girl from Kenya to win a Grand Slam juniors match,” read the post.
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