The 2026 ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J30 Abuja Championship concluded on Saturday, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, with Nigeria’s Success Ogunjobi emerging as the undisputed queen of the tournament while China’s Hengzhi Cui claimed the boys’ singles title in a thrilling finale to two weeks of top-class junior tennis.
Key Highlights:
- Success Ogunjobi won the girls’ singles title, completing a double by claiming both legs of the J30 Abuja tournament.
- Hengzhi Cui defeated Gbolahan Olawale to win the boys’ singles crown.
- Cui and Jinxuan Cheng also secured the boys’ doubles title.
- Khadijat Eleojo Mohammed and Jessica Togbe won the girls’ doubles championship.
- Officials praised the tournament for helping young players gain ranking points and international exposure.
The tournament, which attracted players from Nigeria, China, India, the United States, France, Sri Lanka, Cameroon, Liberia and several other countries, showcased the growing strength of junior tennis in Nigeria and reinforced Abuja’s reputation as a rising destination on the international junior tennis calendar.
The standout performer of the tournament was Nigeria’s Success Ogunjobi, who completed a remarkable double by winning both legs of the J30 Abuja series.
Ogunjobi defeated compatriot Khadijat Eleojo Mohammed 6-2, 6-1 in the girls’ singles final to capture her second consecutive title in Abuja.
The Nigerian star was dominant throughout the week, dispatching Chimezurum Ogualu 6-2, 6-2 in the quarter-finals and Gloria Samuel by the same scoreline in the semi-finals before producing another commanding display in the championship match.
Speaking after her victory, an excited Ogunjobi attributed her success to hard work and the support of her coaches at Aurum Tennis Academy.
“I feel excited. Winning the first leg of the J30 and coming again to win the second week makes me feel so good,” she said.
“It was not really a tough match, but I was able to pull through. A lot of hard work has gone into this. I thank my coach, my management and the staff of Aurum Tennis Academy. They keep pushing me even on days I don’t feel like training.”
The champion revealed that she will next compete in national tournaments and additional ITF events outside Nigeria as she continues her rise on the junior circuit.
Despite falling short in the final, Mohammed maintained a positive outlook.
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“As a professional tennis player, you have to understand that you can’t win everything. It just wasn’t my time today, but hopefully next time I will get it,” she said.
The finalist added that her immediate focus would be the CBN Open, where she hopes to make corrections after reviewing her performance with her team.
In the boys’ singles category, China’s Hengzhi Cui emerged champion after defeating Nigeria’s Gbolahan Olawale 6-1, 7-6(8) in a highly competitive final.
Cui had reached the final after overcoming India’s Jagruth Kasireddy 6-4, 6-0 and fellow Chinese player Jinxuan Cheng 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals.
Olawale, meanwhile, produced one of the tournament’s most impressive runs. The Nigerian defeated American Elliott Awomoyi 6-2, 7-6(3) before overcoming compatriot Seyi Ebenezer Ogunsakin to book his place in the final.
Although he narrowly missed out on the title, Olawale’s performances earned widespread praise and underlined the progress being made by Nigeria’s young talents.
The boys’ doubles title went to the Chinese duo of Jinxuan Cheng and Hengzhi Cui.
The pair fought back from a set down to defeat Nigeria’s Elisha Ishaku Kwange and Gbolahan Olawale 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the final.
Their road to the title included victories over Mohammed Abdullahi and Umar Omaye, Paul Adebisi and Olive Nkolo, as well as Nathaniel Aluko and Onyekachi Ogumjiofor.
Kwange and Olawale also impressed throughout the competition, defeating several strong teams before reaching the championship match.
In the girls’ doubles event, top seeds Khadijat Mohammed of Nigeria and France’s Jessica Togbe emerged champions after defeating Success Ogunjobi and Sri Lanka’s V.D. Rashmi Oma Wijewardana 6-3, 7-6(5) in the final.
The winning pair displayed consistency throughout the tournament and justified their top seeding with a composed performance in the title match.
Although she fell short in the final, Wijewardana once again impressed after reaching doubles finals during both weeks of competition in Abuja.
“It feels really great to make the doubles finals both weeks,” the Sri Lankan player said.
“I would like to thank my partners. Success in the first week and Khadijat in the second week were amazing teammates. I’ve never gone this far in doubles before, so this has been a wonderful experience.”
She added that she hopes to become more aggressive at the net and improve aspects of her doubles game after drawing inspiration from players she watched during the tournament.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, represented by his Special Adviser on Administration, Legal and Strategy, Musa Ahmadu, commended the athletes, coaches, officials and sponsors for a successful championship.
Dikko described the competition as an important platform for young players to earn ranking points, gain exposure and develop into future professionals.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to host more ITF-sanctioned tournaments so local players can accumulate ranking points without the heavy financial burden of travelling abroad.
The NSC chairman also highlighted the recent achievements of Nigerian junior star Seun Ogunsakin, who reached the final qualifying round of the Junior French Open and has registered for the Junior Wimbledon qualifying event.
According to him, Ogunsakin’s progress demonstrates that Nigerian players can compete on the global stage when given adequate opportunities and support.
General Manager of Aurum Tennis Academy, Jan Richfield Dongo, praised the performances of his players, particularly Ogunjobi and Emmanuella Kwange.
He noted that Ogunjobi’s dominance and Kwange’s run to her first international semi-final represented significant milestones for the academy.
“When you’ve seen how tennis is played outside Nigeria, you understand that players must first dominate locally before competing internationally. Success has done that, and Emmanuella also achieved her first international semi-final. We are very satisfied,” he said.
Dongo also commended NASCO Foods for supporting the event and expressed hope that corporate organisations would continue investing in tennis development.
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