Yusuf, Ogunjobi Crowned DavNotch Tennis Champions as Sponsors Double Prize Money
Oru Leonard
Abubakar Yusuf and Success Ogunjobi emerged champions in the men’s and women’s singles categories respectively at the sixth edition of the DavNotch National Open Tennis Championship, which concluded on Saturday at the Ifedayo Akindoju Centre Court of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The tournament ended on a high note as sponsors, DavNotch Nigeria Limited, announced a major increase in prize money, reaffirming their commitment to the growth of tennis in Nigeria.
Yusuf produced an outstanding performance to defeat Nigeria’s top-ranked player, Canice Abua, 7-5, 6-1, to claim his maiden DavNotch National Open title.
The victory was particularly significant for Yusuf, who had suffered several defeats to Abua over the past six years.
Speaking after the match, the new champion described the triumph as one of the biggest moments of his career.
“He is my idol. We have been playing for the past six years and he has been beating me, but today I approached it as a do-or-die affair. I took my chances and was able to beat him,” Yusuf said.
He credited his success to unwavering self-belief and mental strength throughout the contest.
“I remained 100 per cent confident because I knew that once my confidence dropped, he would take advantage. I stayed focused because I know his quality.”
Yusuf added that his immediate ambition is to break into Nigeria’s Davis Cup team, saying the DavNotch Championship has given him a valuable platform to showcase his talent.
In the women’s singles final, defending champion Success Ogunjobi successfully retained her title after recovering from a set down to beat Etoro Bassey 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Ogunjobi said the victory was particularly satisfying after losing to the same opponent in the final of the recently concluded 47th CBN Open National Tennis Championship.
“I feel excited because I lost to her in the CBN Open final. Meeting her again in the final here and coming back to win makes this title very special,” she said.
Earlier, the men’s doubles title went to Canice Abua and Musa Mohammed, who defeated Matthew Abamu and Michael Emmanuel 7-6(5), 3-6, 10-8.
In the women’s doubles event, Goodnews Aina and Success Ogunjobi defeated Blessing Omotayo and Nenrots Suwa 6-4, 7-6(1) to claim the championship.
Andrea Usoh captured the women’s wheelchair singles title with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Vivian Ozurunmba, while Alex Adewale won the men’s wheelchair singles crown after defeating Wasiu Yusuf 6-0, 6-1.
Speaking during the closing ceremony, DavNotch Nigeria Limited Managing Director, Emmanuel Ochei, announced a significant increase in prize money for future editions, with the men’s singles winner’s prize rising from ₦500,000 to ₦1 million, while the women’s singles champion will now receive ₦800,000.
Ochei said the increase demonstrates the company’s long-term commitment to developing tennis across the country.
“For us at DavNotch, it is a thing of joy because we remain committed to inclusivity and the growth of tennis in Nigeria. We have witnessed tremendous improvement, and I thank the President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Victor Ochei, Secretary-General Shammah Makpa and the entire organising committee for another successful championship,” he said.
He stressed that the enhanced prize money is only the beginning of DavNotch’s long-term investment in the sport.
“This is just the beginning. DavNotch is committed to this tournament as a long-term project, and we hope more partners will join us in developing tennis in Nigeria.”
Ochei added that the company’s vision is to help produce Nigerian players capable of competing on the global stage while sustaining support for grassroots and wheelchair tennis. He also paid tribute to former Nigeria Tennis Federation President Dayo Akindoju for laying the foundation for the championship.
The week-long tournament, which began on June 22 and ended on Saturday in Abuja, featured men’s and women’s singles, doubles and wheelchair events, attracting many of the country’s top tennis players.
