The echoes of world-class tennis returned to the historic courts of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, this weekend as Nigeria hosted the Davis Cup World Group II Play-offs against Uzbekistan. This momentous event marks a significant milestone in the nation’s sporting history, as the prestigious global “World Cup of Tennis” touches down in Nigeria’s commercial capital for the first time in nearly two decades.
The high-stakes tie, which saw Nigeria’s number-one tennis player, Daniel Adeleye, defeat Abdulaziz Usmonjonov, of Uzbekistan, had in attendance the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Lekan Fatodu, who graced the opening day of the competition as a special guest, joining other eminent personalities, including the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye; the President of the Nigerian Tennis Federation, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei and the President, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Mr. Adeyinka Adewusi.
Speaking to journalists during the event, Fatodu expressed his immense pride in the significance of the organisers of the event hosting the Davis Cup tie in Lagos.
“`The Davis Cup returning to Lagos after 19 years marks a watershed moment not just for Nigerian tennis, but for Lagos State’s vision of becoming Africa’s undisputed sports and entertainment capital. Fatodu remarked. “This isn’t just about two days of elite competition; it is about the sustainable revival of a tennis culture that once defined the city of Lagos. He further revealed that the Lagos State Sports Commission is working in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders to relaunch the prestigious Lagos Open tennis tournament, which has been dormant in recent years despite its storied history and international recognition.
Indeed, the message from the host city remains clear, world-class tennis has officially returned to Lagos, and it is here to stay.
