Angella Okutoyi

Tennis champion in the making 

Tennis as a sport doesn’t rank as high as other sports in Kenya. Simply put, not that many people play it professionally in the country. But Angella Okutoyi is here to break barriers! 

2022 began with a bang for Angella who was the junior champion at the Australia Open. She won two matches in her first two rounds. At only 18, this tennis superstar is well on her way to new ‘playgrounds’, but her talent didn’t grow overnight.

It all began when she was just four years old. Growing up in Loreto Convent Valley Road where her grandmother worked, Angella was introduced to the game by her uncle, Joe Karanja – who also happened to be a tennis coach at the school. She was not particularly inspired by anyone or anything to start playing, but she liked holding the racket and swinging.  

Her Uncle Joe soon noticed her natural ability and took a chance on her. Angella was at Mbagathi Road Primary School at the time, but her tennis-shine later took her to a new environment.  

Starting the professional journey 

In 2014 she joined the International Tennis Federation Centre in Burundi. Different surroundings only propelled her need to further hone her skills. Two years later, the Centre moved to Nairobi – and so did Angella. Since then, tennis has been a core part of her life. 

Though it wasn’t until 2018 that Angella’s name started making rounds in tennis courts. She’d qualified to play in the annual Kenya Open and she was eager to do her best. At 14 one would imagine nerves would shake her up, but Angella trusted her prowess – even against more experienced players. She made history by becoming the youngest Kenyan tennis player to win the Kenya Open. She beat the consecutive champion and claimed her stake in Kenyan tennis.  

Then in 2021, Angella proved once more that interest and dedication are the backbone of continuous success. She qualified for and attended the Africa Junior Championships in Sousse, Tunisia. No doubt, she was going to shine! While playing as the second seed in Africa, Angella clinically brushed off the number one seed Aya El Aouni in straight sets to emerge victorious in November. For her, there was an element of redemption as she had lost to Aya in the previous year’s Under-18 tournament. For her excellence on the lawn, Angella Okutoyi returned with a new title under her belt – as the Africa Junior Champion.  

This Championship enabled Angella to improve her total points tally and her world ranking. She got into the main draw for the 2022 Australian Open – a commendable feat for a girl her age. She did not know if her ranking was good enough to qualify for the draw but it clearly was. The Australian Open was the huge stage upon which Angella realised she was among the greats. Seeing professional players like Coco Gauff and Rafael Nadal at the hotel she was staying at, was a magical moment for the Kenyan star.  

Reflections 

One of her favourite things about the experience was everything around the arenas being blue – her favourite colour. After winning in her first two rounds, Angella unfortunately lost the third-round match to Serbia’s Lola Radivojevic. But for her, the experience was most important. She had her targets set at the quarters which she would have reached if she had beaten the Serb. She was also stoked for her friends from other countries and mentions Iranian Meshkatolzahra Safi who also made history as the first Iranian girl to win a match at a Grand Slam junior event.  

The experience at the Australian Open is cemented in Angella’s life. It remains an indicator of the possibilities in in store if she continues with tennis at a professional level.  

One thing that’s a must for her is discipline in her daily routine. Angella wakes up at 5:30 am and starts training an hour and a half later. Her training time comes to about three hours on average, before she gets on with her other to-dos. At half past one in the afternoon, her second training session of the day kicks off until 4:00 pm. A daily routine befitting a sports star in the making. 

Angella’s hope is to inspire Kenyan children to pursue tennis at a pro-level. She has set a milestone for herself and future generations can look up to her for inspiration in the game. Her journey in the world of tennis so far has shown us that you are never too young to do anything you set your mind to. 

Thank you Angella for paving the way for future athletes; you are what it means to be one of excellence!