The much anticipated Top 8 National Invitational Tennis Tournament serves off today, 8 April, 2025, inside the FHA Sports Club, FESTAC.
Players (and their coaches) have arrived Lagos from every part of Nigeria for the tournament which features the very best of Nigerian tennis stars as indicated by the national rankings.
The male and female players will be jostling for the N500,000 and N400,000 prize money respectively during the highly competitive matches tournament which is the first of its kind.
This article is meant to help Nigerians get familiar with the quality of players who will be playing the competition as well as some of their achievements over the years.
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Mubarak Ganiyu
Mubarak, one of the youngest player among the male players, is one of Nigeria’s brightest tennis talents having grown through the ranks.
The Oyo State-born Abuja-based tennis player was one Africa’s best U-14 players a few years ago, having held sway in the African Junior Circuit where he won numerous tournaments and trophies for Nigeria.
Son to accomplished and seasoned coach, Tirimisiyu Ganiyu, Mubarak packs a lot of power in his forehand and is renowned for his on-court movements.
The former Nigerian number one junior tennis player is currently the 16th ranked player on the senior national rankings and is surely one of the players to look out for.
Matthew Abamu
The Abamu name is a household name in Nigerian tennis as the family has produced some outstanding players who have made the country proud in recent years. Matthew joining the list, therefore, does not come as a surprise for tennis followers across the country.
In 2023, the calm-looking tennis player won the Bet9ja Invitational Tournament in Lagos, where he beat some of Nigeria’s finest tennis players at the time. It was a testament to the ability of the tennis player.
The Nigerian number 15 senior national player has no doubt been a constant threat to the more experienced national stars and he has proven it with his recent impeccable performances.
During the Rainoil Senior Tennis Championship, the most recent national event, Abamu proved to be a player who knows his onions, and was within minutes of reaching the semis of the event.
Matthew will rely mainly on the fierceness of his ability to control games and move rapidly on the court when he faces his opponents during the tournament.
Yusuf Abubakar
Even though he may not look it, Abu’s portfolio is on the rise and he looks like one to never back down on making it even more intimidating.
The Mambilla Barracks player dominated the UTR events across the length and breath of Nigeria and tennis observers in Nigeria will know that it was not a fluke.
He won gold medal for Delta State at the National Youth Games a few years ago, and continued to be a source of inspiration to youngsters within and outside Abuja.
Abu, who now trains in Lagos, was a member of the Nigerian team that held their own during the 2024 Africa Games.
He has formed a solid partnership with Daniel Adeleye and they have been arguably the best Doubles players in the country by a mile. The number 14-ranked player is not one to be underrated at this tournament.
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Yahaya Sani-Inabo
Athletic, relentless, strong Yahaya does not need any form of introduction in Nigerian tennis despite his age.
The 17-year-old is the youngest player among the participants and deservedly earned his spot in the competition, owing to a number of absenteeism.
Another product of the Mambilla Barracks, Abuja, Yahaya is more prominent for his fight during his matches as he has a special knack for coming back from losing positions to win his matches.
He has been one of Nigeria’s shining stars at Junior ITF tournaments and recently started showing his more experienced seniors why he is a player to watch out for.
In FESTAC, Nigerians will see the number 11-ranked combative player who does not know when to backdown even when the chips are down.
Abayomi Philip
Nigerians are still yet to see the best of Abayomi Philip, one player who rose through the ranks and became a force to be reckoned with.
In January, 2020, the 23-year-old reached a career high 314 in the world junior rankings, and was Nigeria’s highest ranked junior tennis player on the ITF circuit for a while.
It was during this period that he went on a tour of Europe, where he played tournaments and gathered more experience as an upcoming tennis sensation, he has also represented Nigeria at the Davis Cup event with 1-0 record.
Abayomi played some beautiful tennis during the recently-held Rainoil Senior Tennis Championships where he reached the semis to be ranked 10th on the Senior National rankings.
Ikechukwu Iloputa
The man nicknamed the Nigerian Isner is one of the most consistent Nigerian tennis players in the past decade.
Despite not winning any national title, he has been consistently reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals of national tournaments across the country, earning him ranking points to remain in the top half of the rankings.
Ikechukwu who dreams of representing Nigeria at the Davis Cup one day, has been one of the exceptional talents in Nigeria and commands the respect of his opponents when they take to the court.
He automatically got into the Top 8 event as he is ranked 5 on the national rankings. Nigerians will experience his fearless, fierce and attacking prowess during the championship.
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Daniel Adeleye
Daniel is one of the most talented tennis players to have come out of Nigeria without a doubt.
His talent has been attested to by many tennis coaches within and outside Nigeria and it was not surprising that he ended his Junior ITF career as Nigeria’s top player, a position he held for a while after winning numerous junior ITF titles in Nigeria and beyond.
His consistency on the Junior ITF tour earned him a call-up to the national team where he helped Nigeria gain promotion to Davis Cup World Group II Playoffs in 2024.
Daniel’s carefree attitude gives people misconceptions about his ability, and he does not waste any opportunity to show off his enviable tennis talents on the court on his day.
He is currently Nigeria’s number four senior national player on the national rankings after reaching the final of the recently held Rainoil Senior National Tennis Championships, losing only to Christopher Bulus, Nigeria’s only player on the ATP ranking.
Canice Abua
One of the players Nigerians should be proud of is this young man. His rise has been meteoric and his patience is something to be celebrated.
Since the Life Camp boy practically came out of nowhere to win a Junior ITF title in Abuja, he has not stopped progressing.
He stunned the bookmakers in his first ever Junior ITF appearance, and won the title despite playing from the preliminary rounds of the competition, without losing a single set.
Canice was in camp for both Africa Games and Davis Cup preparations in 2024 but was not part of the team on either occasion. However, he would later make it to the Davis Cup in South Africa where he showed flashes of his impeccable brilliance.
He reached back to back finals at the Dala Championship in 2023 and 2024 before picking up the title in 2024, to win his first ever national championship.
In Lagos, he is the highest ranked player (number two) and one of the favourites to win the competition.
Gloria Samuel
When the likes of Gloria Samuel take to court, Nigerians are always excited and are rest assured that the future of tennis in the country is in safe hands.
The Ekiti-based youngster is one of the hottest tennis prospects in Nigeria and is deservedly Nigeria’s number one U-16 youngster.
Although she is ranked 39 in the senior national rankings, she was invited to replace Khadijat Mohammed, Nigeria’s number one player, in the top 8 competition. Such is her tennis ingenuity and ability.
In 2025 alone, Gloria has won the Rock Foundation Junior Tennis Championship and the Azimuth Shipping Lines Tennis Tournament, the two competitions she has participated in.
Nigerians who want to watch top tennis action can make themselves present inside the FHA Lawn Tennis Club, FESTAC, to watch this budding tennis sensation.
Etoro Bassey
Coaches across Nigeria have affirmed that if there’s a new generation female tennis player who is likely to go pro, Etoro’s name has to top the list.
The GEUF Tennis Academy player from Akwa-Ibom is one of the few female tennis players who play the legendary ‘serve and volley’ style on court. Such is her confidence and ability on court.
Described as being ‘as smooth as Federer’, Etoro has won numerous titles across the length and breadth of Nigeria, including recently picking up the Singles and Doubles gold medal at the Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo.
For a player whose second serve is as strong as her first serve, the expectations will be at an all-time high when hostilities begin in Nigeria.
She lost to eventual winner, Khadijat Mohammed, in the semis of the recent Rainoil Senior National Tennis Championship, hence her rise to 9th on the national rankings.
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Patience Onebamhoin
Fondly called ‘Aunty Pat’, this ageless player seems to not have retirement as part of her immediate plans, as she has continued to prove on the court.
Despite her age, the passion with which she plays is unquestionable and there is no denying the fact that she backs the passion up with performances that have yielded results.
The multifaceted senior tennis player not only wields the racket on the court, she also teaches kids how to play the beautiful game and is an ITF-accredited umpire.
She brings years of experience and a deep knowledge of the game to the top 8 tournament as the number eight-ranked player in the country.
Bright Emmanuel
Bright’s harmless and carefree attitude during conversations are a total opposite of what she is capable of doing on the tennis court.
Legend says she is a regen of Anu Ayegbusi, one of Nigeria’s most feared tennis players of the last decade.
For context, Ayegbusi held sway as the most consistent player on the court who returns everything you throw at her and knows when to strike, and these are the qualities that Bright possesses and even more.
Every time she has played a major championship, not only has the Apapa Tennis Club player proven to be a formidable opponent, she has also shown that growth is a constant variable that can be measured.
She rose to the peak of West African U-14 ranking and won every junior tournament in the country and beyond, including winning the National Youth Games.
Despite losing to the her rival, Khadijat Mohammed, in her first ever national finals (after playing from the qualifying rounds), she reached a career-high 7th on the national rankings. She is definitely one to watch out for.
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Success Ogunjobi
The story of Success cannot be told without acknowledging how ferocious she is on the court.
Her fierceness and aggression on court have been likened to Aryna Sabalenka’s after putting her opponents ‘to the sword’ several times with the unstoppable hits.
Now based in Abuja, the Ekiti-born tennis sensation is actually a prospect that cannot be ignored as her growth through the junior tennis circuit in Nigeria has been steady.
Her current ranking as Nigeria’s number six ranked player is a testament to how consistent she has been on the senior national tennis circuit, where she handed a number of senior players unprecedented upsets.
Mary Udoffa
If there is a Nigerian player whose zero to hero story needs to be told more often, it has to be Mary’s.
She started her tennis journey inside the Kaduna Polo Club a couple of years ago, where she was badly battered by her opponents.
After weeping and coming to terms with how serious a sport tennis is, Mary vowed to never be in that state again, and her rise has not only been steady, it has been inspiring.
She won her first junior national title in Lagos a few years ago, after defeating the super talented Serena Teluwo, and she has consistently won junior events afterwards.
That Mary is ranked number five in Nigeria is a clear indication that she is one player who cannot be ignored on the national scene. She is a player who carries so much energy in her.
Omolayo Bamidele
This Abuja-based Ekiti born tennis player embodies the ‘perfect athlete’ build.
She wears a beautiful and charming smile off court but the same cannot be said of her when she takes to the court.
The no-nonsense player was within a touching distance of her first senior national title a few years ago, and has been a main stay on the national scene ever since.
She was also a finalist at the FASU Games inside the University of Lagos last year, where she represented Nike University.
One thing about Omolayo, don’t lob the ball while playing against her, you are not likely to like the outcome from her side of the court.
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Blessing Omotayo
Your first encounter with Blessing will most probably give you the illusion that she does not smile. This is because she is mostly business-minded on the court.
This tennis player won some incredible matches en route to winning her first senior national title in 2024, a feat which left many tennis followers surprised and excited at the same time.
Blessing does not particularly look flamboyant, however, she makes up for that with her beautiful tennis which she puts on display as frequently as she has to play.
She is Nigeria’s current number two player for a reason, and is gradually building a formidable Doubles partnership with another fierce player in Etoro Bassey.