Nigeria’s tennis wizard, Mofifunoluwa Atilola, is starting the new year as the country’s top-ranked U-14 female player.
According to the latest rankings released by the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT), the Lagos-based starlet has ascended to 15th in Africa and 2nd in West Africa, cementing her status as one of the most clinical prospects in the African game today.
Born in 2013, Atilola’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. Over the last twelve months, she has effectively cleared the domestic trophy cabinet, winning virtually every tournament she entered on Nigerian soil.
Her recent foray into the international circuit is already yielding high-performance results, proving that her game translates far beyond the home court.
While Atilola holds the gold, a few other Nigerian starlets are keeping pace on the continental leaderboard.
Thirteen-year-old Rorisa Jatto follows at 39th in Africa, with Emmanuella Kwange breaking the top fifty at 44th, and Dabira Oluwaseyi rounding out the ranked Nigerian contingent at 134th.
In a stark contrast to the girls’ success, Nigeria currently has zero players listed on the African U-14 boys’ rankings. The void comes largely due to the exit of former West African number one, Chukwudubem Amasiani, who has officially aged out of the category.
This leaves a massive void in the division, shifting the focus to the next generation of baseline brawlers to step up and reclaim Nigeria’s standing.
As the season unfolds, the tennis world will be watching to see if Atilola can break into the African Top 10 and if a new male contender will emerge from the shadows to end the current rankings drought.
