Tennis prodigy Angella Okutoyi of Kenya made history on Saturday, July 9, when she became the first Kenyan woman to win the Wimbledon title.
In the women's junior doubles event, the tennis pro, age 18, partnered with Rose Marie Nijkamp of the Netherlands.
Okutoyi and her partner had to put in a lot of work after they tied the Canadian duo after two sets.
In the tiebreaker, the Canadians were defeated 11-9 by Nijkamp and Okutoyi (3-6, 6-4).
Okutoyi was all praise for her teammate after their semi-final triumph, highlighting their close bond throughout the contest.
Although engaging, the game was by no means easy. However, my friend and I really fought through it.
According to Okutoyi, we prevailed because we maintained our composure and fortitude despite the fact that we were losing.
The adolescent prodigy advanced as the first Kenyan to a Grand Slam final with Dutch partner Rose Marie Nijkamp on Friday
by defeating Circa Bagaric of Croatia and Nikola Daubenova of Serbia 6-3 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
When her singles run in the main draw in the first round, Okutoyi, who was taking part in the competition for the first time, shifted her focus to the doubles.
Mia Kupres of Canada defeated the 2020 African Junior Tennis Champion 6-3, 6-2.
After receiving an invitation to join the ITF Touring Teams and Grand Slam Player Development Program, the 18-year-old was given permission to take part in the Grand Slam.
The athletes travel together as part of the programme, where they get access to Grand Slam coaches and compete in events outside of their home countries.
Okutoyi became the first Kenyan woman to go to the third round of a Grand Slam competition after winning two sets in Australia back in January, putting Kenya on the world map.
Despite hailing from a poor background, the youthful talent has disproved the myth that tennis is a sport for the wealthy.