Tennis Kenya lands second deal with France
Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 28.05.26. | 15:09
The partnership will see Kenyan players benefit from elite coaching programmes in new generation facilities
Tennis Kenya has landed yet another strategic partnership with France, following the launch of an exchange program that will see players from both countries train together and play against one another in reciprocal visits.
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The development comes after Tennis Kenya President Wanjiru Mbugua Karani, on Wednesday, 27 May, met with the Mayor of the Southern French city of Istres, Robin Prétot, to formalise a deal with Istres Sport Tennis Club, with a view to fast-tracking development of the sport.
Under the partnership, Karani stated that Kenyan players would stand to benefit enormously from the elite coaching programmes run at Istres, on whose clay courts French legends like Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet honed their skills.
“It is a great opportunity for our players to be welcomed to this city,” Wanjiru said. “They have so much [infrastructure] for our players to make use of – their courts, their facilities, their coaches. This is such a great step for Tennis Kenya and for the City of Istres.”
Istres Sport Tennis Club boasts five and four outdoor courts with new generation artificial clay, and also has several squash and padel courts, including a mega indoor padel centre constructed by French football legend Zinedine Zidane, who hails from the region.
Additionally, the club has 10 professionals teaching 800 club members of all levels, including baby tennis, tennis school, adult lessons, competition, and adapted sports.
Beyond pure tennis technique, the instructors strive to instil in everyone the values important to the Istres Sports Tennis: Friendliness, Training, Solidarity, and Self-Improvement.
“We are very honoured to have this relation with Kenya and with the tennis federation of Kenya,” newly-elected Mayor Robin Prétot said. "It’s always a pleasure to welcome you and to welcome your team.
This partnership will work to improve our players also, and help them also discover other countries.”
Also during her visit, Wanjiru toured the first-class facilities at Istres Sport Tennis Club, and was taken around by the club’s Director, Laurent Vigne, who is also an elite coach.
“Today I’m very excited to be in the place which has been able to host two of our top 16 years and under players (Jeff Okuku and Aum Chandarana) in February-March, and they had such a good time,” the Tennis Kenya President said, referencing to an earlier deal signed between Kenya and France, that saw the two aforementioned players travel to France for high-level training and competition.
“At Tennis Kenya, we are looking for opportunities for our players, especially the younger ones – the 12 and under, the 14 and under, and we want them to start at this age, by exposing them to international tennis, and this club,” she added.
Tennis Kenya is this weekend also expected to cement another monumental partnership with the French Tennis Federation on the sidelines of the French Open at Roland-Garros, Paris.
Members present will be Kenya’s Ambassador to Paris, Ms Betty Cherwon, and other high-ranking officials from Kenya and France.
A key technical component of the programme will be knowledge transfer, focused on clay court development.