Kenya's 2022 Wimbledon women's doubles champion Angela Oktoy continued to make history for her country this week by winning singles gold at the African Games in Accra, Ghana.
Oktoy, 20, defeated Egypt's Ramis Al-Hussein Abdel-Aziz 6-4, 6-2 in the final and lost a career lead to Al-Hussein Abdel-Aziz's compatriot Mayal Sherif, the top seed, in the semi-finals. It was a great victory. Oktoy fell behind 5-2 in one set against the 70th-ranked Sherif, but he came back to win 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) in 4 hours and 27 minutes.
Her gold medal was the first by a Kenyan woman to win the African Games since Jane Davis-Dokuzon in 1978, and she attracted attention at the top of the competition. Ons Jabour, a three-time major finalist, sent Oktoy a message of congratulations and encouraged him to “keep up the good work!” In response, Oktoy posted on Instagram, “This has made my day.''
The result opens the door for Oktoy to potentially compete in this summer's Paris Olympics. Currently ranked 532nd, if her ranking is within the top 400 by the June 10 deadline, she will qualify for the ITF singles main event through the continental qualifiers.
Oktoy, now a sophomore at Auburn University, admitted that he will add a professional tournament to his schedule in order to qualify.
“I'm happy to have qualified…but I haven't qualified yet because the rankings aren't there yet,” she told ITF. “Right now, I'm just trying to see if I can play more.” [ITF] Participate in tournaments to improve your ranking and aim to qualify for the Olympics. ”
Oktoy has played a limited pro schedule so far as he prepares for college, appearing in just 10 tournaments since last July. However, his performance on the ITF World Tour was promising. Oktoy has lifted the trophy twice, at the Monastir W15 in July last year and at his hometown Nairobi W25 in December. She has won 10 of her last 11 professional matches since following her Nairobi title and reaching the Napoli ITF W35 semi-finals in January this year.
Oktoy's achievement as the first Kenyan woman to win an ITF singles title continues to be a trailblazer in her junior career. In 2022, she became the first woman from her country to win a Junior Grand Slam match and reach the third round at the Australian Open. She teamed up with Rose Marie Nijkamp to win her women's doubles title and became the first Kenyan Wimbledon champion in the same year.
Oktoy, who won a silver medal in doubles with Cynthia Wanjara at the African Games, is rooting for her to achieve this Olympic milestone. The trailblazing talent posted her podium moment on Instagram with the caption, “See you in Paris.”
