Nigeria Women’s Tennis Team Makes History, Earns Billie Jean King Cup Group II Promotion
Oru Leonard
Nigeria’s women’s tennis team has achieved a historic milestone by securing promotion to the Billie Jean King Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group II after a thrilling 2-1 victory over host nation Botswana in the promotional play-off held in Gaborone.
The Nigerian team started the tie on a strong note, with in-form Success Ogunjobi delivering a dominant performance in the opening singles match, defeating Botswana’s Chelsea Chakanyuka 6-2, 6-4 to give Nigeria an early advantage.
Despite Botswana’s fightback, the Nigerian squad maintained composure to claim the decisive win and secure promotion to the higher division. The team, comprising Etoro Bassey, Success Ogunjobi, Khadijat Mohammed and Oyinlomo Quadre, achieved the feat under the guidance of coach Rotimi Akinloye.
The promotion marks a significant breakthrough for Nigerian women’s tennis and adds another chapter to what has become a historic year for the sport in the country.
Earlier in 2026, Nigeria’s men’s tennis team also gained promotion to the Davis Cup World Group II, making it the first time both national teams have achieved major international promotion in the same year.
The back-to-back successes highlight the steady growth of Nigerian tennis and the impact of renewed investment in player development, coaching and international competition exposure.
