Tennis ace Angella Okutoyi departs for USA

Kenya’s tennis history maker Angella Okutoyi has already made way to the United States of America where she will enter a new phase of her life as she begins her university studies at the Auburn University in Alabama.

Back in October, the 18 year old youngster, who became the first ever Kenyan to lift a Grand Slam title when she hoisted the 2022 Wimbledon Girls’ Doubles trophy alongside Netherland’s Rose Marie Nijkamp, received a massive boost in the pursuit of her professional career as she accepted a full time scholarship offer to join the Auburn University.

“Going to miss all of you,” the youngster posted on her social media platform ahead of her flight.

In an earlier interview, Okutoyi, who remains to be the youngest ever player to win the Kenya Open, revealed that a number of factors had convinced her into joining Auburn where she believes will give her the ideal chance to reach her full potential in her budding tennis career and her varsity education.

“It was a really difficult process because I had over thirty applications from various schools. I could not even reply to all of them at some point. But I settled on Auburn first because it sat right with me and the various reviews I got when I visited them was very good. Facilities were not even an issue because they have the very best of them,” she told Mozzart Sport.

Additionally, Okutoyi, who is transitioning into full time tennis after playing in all four Junior Grand Slam tournaments at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open, expressed her delight at the opportunity saying it will elevate her quest to make a breakthrough in the senior women’s game.

She revealed that the university will also be paying for her participation in some futures tournaments that allow players to win career titles and improve their rankings.

“This opportunity will help my tennis for sure because now I will be able to have the best facilities compared to Nairobi. I will have two coaches, a physio and a lot of other things I will be getting when I am in that school (Auburn) and that will help me a lot.

If with the limited things I had here in I still managed to make it out there, now imagine with all the things I will get there. I can do better for sure. The college will also pay for some futures tournaments for me and the team so I will try to strengthen my Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings,” she added.

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