African Games tennis champion Angela Okutoyi will defend her Kenya Open title next month at the Nairobi Club.
The 2022 Wimbledon junior doubles champion is currently in Casablanca, Morocco, playing in the Futures tournament after missing out on the Paris Olympics, which starts later this month.
She will be gunning for a third title, having won in 2023 and 2019.
She said: “I am in Morocco playing in the Futures tournament on clay, which is good preparation for the Kenya Open. Tennis on the continent has improved. I am in good shape to perform in Nairobi."
Okutoyi said she has moved on after missing a ticket to the 2024 Paris olympics.
“I was disappointed. My ultimate goal was to play at the Olympics after missing Tokyo. I'll soldier and fight on for the next one," she said.
However, Okutoyi believes winning a continental title should be a clear path to the Olympics.
“The ITF should guarantee the winner of the African Games a direct ticket to the Olympics since African players do not have access to top tournaments,” said Okutoyi.
To punch a ticket at the Paris Games, she needed to be in the top 400 in the world by June 10. She is ranked 495th.
Egyptian Mayar Sherif, ranked 63rd in the world, and whom Okutoyi beat 7-5 7-6 at the Africa Games semifinal in Accra, Ghana, in March will be Africa's sole representative in Paris.
Sherif will be the only African player at the Paris Games after world number 10, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, withdrew.
Other top players expected for the one-week Kenya Open include Okutoyi’s twin sister Rosehilda Asumwa, Alicia Owegi and Cynthia Cheruto.
Okutoyi will defend the doubles title alongside Asumwa. Kael Shah will defend the men’s title and then link up with brother Keean in defending the doubles crown.
The tournament has a prize purse of Sh700, 000 where the winners of the singles tournament will pocket Sh80,000. The qualifying draw is set for August 3-4 with the tournament proper starting on August 5.
