Kenyan tennis prodigy Angella Okutoyi made history by becoming the first Kenyan player to secure a Grand Slam junior match victory at the French Open. The 17-year-old advanced to the second round after defeating Belgian qualifier Amelie Van Impe 7-6, 6-4 in a one-hour, 43-minute encounter.
Okutoyi's achievement follows her 2021 Africa Under-18 championship title and her earlier milestone in January 2022 when she became the first Kenyan girl to win a junior Grand Slam match at the Australian Open. Ranked 66th in the world junior rankings, she overcame a tough first set against Van Impe before clinching the second set to progress.
Training in Italy since May 3, Okutoyi competed in two lead-up tournaments before the French Open. Despite a recent three-match losing streak in preparatory events, she expressed confidence in surpassing her Australian Open performance. Her next challenge comes against Croatian Petra Marčinko, who advanced with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Kayla Cross.
