Home / Sports / Nigerian Tennis Players Race for Masters Qualification
Nigerian Tennis Players Race for Masters Qualification
4 Nov
Summary
- African table tennis players eliminated early from Youth Olympics.
- Top Nigerian tennis players seek ranking points for Masters.
- Masters tournament to feature eight top men and women players.
Nigerian table tennis players Matthew Kuti and Favour Ojo have been eliminated from the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after losing their final preliminary matches. Ojo suffered her third group stage loss, while Kuti was defeated 0-3 by Italy's Francesco Travesan. These eliminations mean only Algeria's Tania Morice and Egypt's Abdelmalk Elsayed continue in the competition from the initial 15 African participants.
In a separate development, top Nigerian senior tennis players are intensifying their efforts to qualify for the lucrative ProvidusUnity Bank Tennis Masters. The tournament will host eight men and women, with six spots determined by the Nigerian Tennis Federation ranking and two awarded as wild cards. Players like Daniel Adeleye, who dropped in rankings due to pursuing ATP tournaments, are now prioritizing domestic events to secure their place.
The scramble for qualification is also evident among the women, with players ranked seventh to ninth increasing their training intensity. Potential wild card recipient Seun Ogunsakin, a junior Wimbledon semifinalist and ITF J200 champion, is also in contention. The final three qualifying tournaments—Destiny Da Silva Championships, Dala Hard Courts, and JIO Tennis Championships—will conclude before the Masters event in Lagos from December 22nd to 26th.
