From Zero To Hero: Read The Amazing Story Of Gabriel Inyang, Nigeria’s Next Big Thing In Tennis

He was still a naïve youngster when he participated in the 2014 NNPC/ITA Junior Tennis Circuit in Kaduna.
Present at the tourney were already ‘established’ young champs; MaryLove Edwards, Angel McCleod, Gabriel Friday, Christopher Itodo, among others.

But Gabriel Inyang wasted no time in showing the talent in him after impressing towards the latter part of the tournament.

Gabriel Inyang poses with Engr. Sani Ndanusa at the ongoing ITF/CAT Circuit in Abuja.

Unsurprisingly, he managed to go home with his first piece of silverware from a national tournament and since then, there has been no going back for this rookie.

With his father, a tennis enthusiast and coach at the VGC Tennis Club, Gabriel Inyang continued to face stiff opposition from stronger junior players.

He would later take this form to the United States of America, where at the IMG Tennis Academy-one of the biggest in the world- he shone like a million.

His dexterity with the racquet and the ball made him a fans’ favourite and was made to participate in a competition which holds once in a year.

Inyang during one of his matches at the ongoing tournament.

Without wasting time, Gabriel was able to show how much he had grown as he won the singles and doubles in the competition.

The father, Richard Inyang could not hide his joy as he was all smiles when his son was presented with his trophies with a trip back to Nigeria on the cards.

Unperturbed by that success, young Gabriel returned to the shores of the country with ‘enough’ experience to face the task ahead and has never looked back since.

At the 2016 ITF/CAT Junior Circuit in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital, the Boys’ U-12 participant made his ‘wealth of experience’ count as he dished out his very best against the more prominent stars from other parts of Africa.

Young Inyang poses before his match against another African at the ongoing ITF/CAT Circuit in Abuja.

He waltzed through the round robin stage into the semis and poses a great threat to crowd favourite and fellow rookie from Nigeria, Daniel Adeleye.

Even if he does not win, Gabriel has already shown how much talent he possesses and has already made the investments on him by his sponsors; Wakanow, VGC Tennis Club, among others, count on the big stage.