Nigeria’s top eight stars set for Lagos Tennis Cup

Lagos is, once again, set to host the best tennis players from across the country with the second Lagos Tennis Cup, which holds from September 27 to October 2 at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.

According to the organisers, the tournament will feature the top eight men’s and women’s players in the country, as ranked by the Nigerian Tennis Federation. The players, include defending men’s champion, Uche Oparaoji, who is currently ranked sixth, and women’s champion and top seed, Marylove Edwards.

The Lagos Tennis Cup, which debuted in 2021 at the same venue, is part of a new addition to the national tennis calendar called the Nigerian Tennis Majors, and which also includes the Abuja Tennis Cup. 

Champions in both categories will earn N500, 000 each, while the runners-up will get N250, 000. Each player gets N50, 000 to help with welfare, while a stage one exit earns a player an additional N50,000.

The organisers told The Guardian that the tournament would hold in a group stage format, with each category divided into two groups of four players.

The top two players, after a round-robin competition, will clash with the runners-up of the other group in the semifinals, with the victors playing in the final.

Assuring fans of exciting days ahead, Managing Director of Tennis Management Company Limited (TMCL), organisers of the event, Kenneth Ezaga, said fans and the sports community should expect a more robust tournament this year.

“We are building a sports property that will compete with the very best on the continent. It will take some time to reach our goal, but with every tournament it gets a bit better and easier,” Ezaga said. 

“Tennis in Nigeria was hugely popular and we are hoping that with the Lagos Tennis Cup and the Abuja