Angela Okutoyi has again rewritten history by becoming the first Kenyan to win a Grand Slam title after partnering Dutchwoman, Rose Marie Nijkamp to victory in the final of the junior women’s doubles at Wimbledon on Saturday 9 July 2022.
Kenya’s Angela Okutoyi wrote her names in the annals of history when she became the first ever Kenyan to reach a Grand Slam final following her qualification to the championship match in the women’s doubles at the Junior Wimbledon at the All England Tennis Club on Friday 8 July 2022
At the Australian Open, Okutoyi won her first two matches two sets to one against Italian Frederica Urgesi 2-1 (6-4, 7-6, 6-3). She went on to blow off home girl Zara Larke in a similar score (7-6, 5-7, 6-1) to progress to the third round where her journey came to an end.
Angela Okutoyi, 18, became the first Kenyan girl to win an Australian Open juniors match and the first to go past the second round at a Grand Slam tournament.
The Spaniard surpassed the previous men's record of 20 he held jointly with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, the latter of whom was denied entry into the country after having his visa revoked.
There was further joy and much-deserved acknowledgment when Okutoyi dispatched another qualifier, this time Zara Larke of Australia, in round two and equalled the previous best result of a Kenyan junior at a Grand Slam.
The 18 year old lost to Lola Radivojevic in sets of 6-2 and 6-3 on Wednesday morning.
Kenya’s top ranked junior booked her spot at the tournament after winning the Africa Junior Tennis Championship (18 and Under) in November 2021.
The Committee’s campaign which is based around five key themes is aimed at improving gender equality in all areas of the game to ensure tennis is a leading light for sport both on and off the field.
Reuters reports he was later taken from the airport to a hotel in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton which is used for immigration detention. The facility has been the site of Covid-19 outbreaks and a recent fire, according to local media.
