Tennis sensation Angela Okutoyi took to the Junior Australian Open in Melbourne last month, it signified a great deal of progress for both individual and country in as far as the game is concerned.
Her rise to stardom is not by fluke and follows a lot of hard work behind the scenes. In sports, Kenya is mostly known as an athletics powerhouse, but for the duration Okutoyi was on the courts Down Under, every sports enthusiast in the country took notice.
It had taken Kenya 16 years to grace a grand slam with Christian Vitulli the last player to play at the 2006 Australian Open.
In Melbourne, Okutoyi was hard at work to prove she never made the long trip to just shore up the numbers. She beat Federica Urgesi of Italy 6-4 5-7 6-3 in the first round, eliminated Australian Zara Clarke 7-6 5-7 6-1 before falling 6-2 6-3 to Lola Radivojevic of Serbia.
The two wins proved a great deal in individual progress as she rose 15 places on the world rankings to position 56.
The country has had limited success in the sport in the last 30 years when the likes of Paul Wekesa, Eno Polo and Susan Wakhungu were playing against the world’s best players.
Okutoyi’s rise has breathed fresh air to the sport and there is a general feeling that she’s just getting started. Interestingly, her exploits coincided with Tennis Kenya 100th anniversary celebrations.
Baby steps
Okutoyi started her tennis journey at the age of four at the upmarket Loreto Convent Valley Road (LCVR) School courts.
“I fell in love with the game from an early age. I held the racket and just started hitting the ball. The program was part of the Junior Tennis initiative to popularise the game,” Okutoyi says.
She credits her uncle, Allan Tola, and tennis coach Joe Karanja for introducing her to the game and supporting her all the way.
“They held my hand from the word go and have supported me even on days when things were not going well. They have been motivating and inspiring me to reach where I am right now,” she observes.
She adds: “On weekends, while other kids were playing out there, I was spending time on the courts learning the craft of the game as well interacting with other players.”
The soft-spoken star also has kind words towards her grandmother, Mary Amukaya and the Dark City Family for their support.
“My grandmother has supported me since I started playing, whether I am in the country or not,” she says.
Finally famous
At 10, Okutoyi played in her first International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior tournament and even though she lost in the third round, she insists that was not a reason enough to lose hope.
Her big breakthrough came in 2013 when she was invited to the ITF Training Centre in Bujumbura, Burundi, alongside her twin sister, Rosehilda Asumwa.
Her coach Thuku Rogoi as well as heads of the program in Burundi, Thiery Ntwali and Asandi Murisho, were impressed by the potential Okutoyi displayed.
“Burundi was an eye-opener. The coaches and facilities were world-class and Tennis Kenya really supported me by offsetting some of my expenses,” she explains.
However, following the outbreak of civil unrest in Burundi in 2015, the regional centre was moved to Nairobi and Okutoyi had the advantage of continuing with her development at home.
Three years later, Okutoyi’s efforts in training started to pay off. During the 2018 Kenya Open tournament, she etched herself in history books as the youngest ever national champion after beating top seed Shufaa Changawa 6-1 7-5 at Nairobi Club.
“I was delighted. Being the youngest Kenya Open winner is something special. It is one of my fondest memories up to date. It took a while to come to terms with the fact that a teenager could beat established players,” Okutoyi says.
In the same year, she won the Africa Junior Championship Under 14 singles tournament on Clay Court (AJCCC) in Algeria and followed it with a singles and doubles triumph at the ITF East African Under 18 Junior Circuit.
In 2019, she clinched the ITF Nairobi Junior Open and Eastern Africa Zonal Championships Under 16 accolades.
Okutoyi went one better last year when she won the Africa Under-21 Championships in Sousse, Tunisia, beating top seed Aya El Aouni of Morocco 6-3 6-3.
Full steam ahead
Rogoi says the Kenya Open win opened international doors for Okutoyi. First came the invite to play at the Eddie Herri Championships in Florida, USA where she entered in the Under-14 category. She reached the second round.
“This has been a journey from when she won the Kenya Open. We wanted to expose her to international tournaments since we could see the potential she had of shining at the global stage,” Rogoi notes.
He says the sky is the limit for Okutoyi, whose ‘journey to stardom has just started’.
“She has time on her side. She will get better with more exposure at the global stage. We want her to play at the grand slams, competing against the world’s best players. The French Open, Wimbledon and US Open are our next projects and we have already started preparing for them,” he says.
Rogoi believes there could be other ‘okutoyis’ wasting away due to lack of training facilities and has therefore called on the Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Sports, to fast track the building of public tennis courts, which will make the sport more accessible.
“The government should build courts where people from all backgrounds can play. Currently, it is very expensive to access such facilities, which are mainly private,” Rogoi says.
Way forward
Okutoyi’s next assignment will be the ITF Women’s Futures Tournament in Cairo this month, followed by the Africa Junior Championships and an invitational tournament in Italy in April.
In Egypt, she is expecting tough opposition from Aya El Aouni of Morocco and Jermaine Sheriff of Egypt.
“The two are very tough opponents to play against. They always bring out the best in me,” Okutoyi, who idolises US tennis legend Serena Williams, says.
Meanwhile, Rogoi feels, they could do with a little more support.
“We are calling on well-wishers to support Okutoyi’s quest. For example, in her next tournament in Egypt, we will need a minimum of Sh2m for the three weeks we will be away. This is to cater for accommodation, air tickets, meals and miscellaneous expenses,” he says.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has promised to support her quest. The teenager has been training at a private facility in Kihingo, courtesy of Wekesa.
In her parting shot, Okutoyi tells upcoming tennis players: “Follow your dream, never give up and always keep on pushing.”