Tennis sensation Angela Okutoyi has once again made history by becoming the first sportsperson LG/SJAK Sports Personality of the month award twice this year and three times overall since the inception of the award.
The month of July has been amazing for the 18-year-old, who not only became the first Kenyan but also African to win a Grand Slam match during the Wimbledon Open Doubles Junior Championship on July 9 in England.
Okutoyi alongside her partner Rose Marie Nijkamp from the Netherlands beat Canadian duo Kayla Cross and Victoria Mboko 3-6, 6-4, 11-9 in the final at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club.
Reacting to her victory, an emotional Okutoyi stated how excited she was being nominated alongside long- and middle-distance athletes.
"I am truly honored to win this award for the second time in a year and I wish to thank my partner Nijkamp for her resilience through our campaign. Being nominated alongside Kenya's long and middle-distance runners and beating them is no mean achievement. A grand slam win has always been my dream, now it's no longer a dream but a reality,” said the emotional Okutoyi.
Okutoyi beat Commonwealth and African champion Ferdinand Omanyala as well as Double World and Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon and World 800m Champion Emmanuel Korir.
The 2021 Africa Junior Champion from January 22-29 took part in the Australian Open Grand Slam Tournament. In Australia, Okutoyi ended her Grand Slam debut with a third round finish, narrowly missing out on the quarterfinals.
From May 29 to June 4, the rising star took part in the Roland Garros Junior Championships in Paris, France. Unfortunately, at the Championships, Okutoyi lost to top-ranked Petra Marcinko in the second round over two straight sets (6-2), (6-4).
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