President William Ruto has hailed Kenyan tennis star Angella Okutoyi for delivering a standout performance in Nairobi, clinching both the singles and doubles crowns at the 2026 ITF W35 tournament on Sunday, January 4, 2026.

Taking to X on Sunday, January 4, 2026, Ruto praised Okutoyi for inspiring young athletes and flying Kenya’s flag high at the competition.

”Congratulations Angella Okutoyi for the outstanding performance and well-earned victory at the International Tennis Federation Women’s World Tour. Your determination and talent carried you through tough competition to become the champion. You have flown Kenya’s flag high and inspired young athletes. We are proud of you. Well done.” Ruto said.

Okutoyi reigns supreme

The 21-year-old Okutoyi reigned supreme following a hard-fought victory over Italy’s Martina Colmegna in the final at the Parklands Sports Club, where Okutoyi battled for two hours and 33 minutes before sealing a 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 win in a tense three-set encounter.

Despite entering the final ranked more than 100 places below Colmegna on the WTA standings, the Kenyan showed remarkable composure from the outset. She stormed into a 3–0 lead and comfortably closed out the opening set at 6–3, relying on solid service games and aggressive baseline play.

Colmegna, however, responded strongly in the second set. The 29-year-old Italian raised her level, dictating play and forcing a deciding set after taking the frame 6–3.

In the final stretch, Okutoyi rediscovered her rhythm. After an early exchange of breaks, the African Games champion pulled away, winning the decisive set 6–3 to secure her first W35 title in Nairobi—redemption after finishing runner-up in the 2025 final.

Speaking after the match, the 21-year-old revealed how personal motivation fueled her triumph, noting that repeated final losses in previous W35 events had pushed her to dig deeper. She dedicated the victory to her late aunt, Cynthia, who passed away in November 2025.

She also expressed optimism about carrying the momentum into the second leg of the tournament, stating her ambition to claim another title in the coming week.

Road to victory

Okutoyi’s path to the title was equally impressive. She began her campaign with a straight-sets win over Hungary’s Luca Udvardy, before dispatching Serbia’s Dusica Popovski in the second round. Her quarterfinal progressed after Serbia’s Natalija Senic retired, while the semifinal saw her edge Poland’s Zuzanna Pawlikowska in a dramatic three-set contest.

The weekend ended on a high note as Okutoyi added the doubles trophy to her collection. Partnering with Pawlikowska, the duo overcame France’s Alyssa Reguer and China’s Yufei Ren in straight sets, 6–2, 7–5, in a match that had been postponed from Saturday.

For her efforts, Okutoyi pocketed $4,860 in prize money and earned 35 valuable ranking points. She remains Kenya’s top-ranked female player, currently positioned 561 on the WTA rankings and 865 in the ITF singles standings.