What began as an initiative to introduce tennis to children at grassroots level has grown into one of the biggest junior tennis events on the Kenyan calendar, with the fifth edition of the Omanyala Tennis 10s attracting over 200 young players.
Held on October 3, 2026, at Nairobi Club, the tournament brought together children from schools across the country, many of them from public schools participating in Tennis Kenya’s Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) programmes.
For Africa 100 metres record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, the tournament is about more than numbers. The African sprint star and patron of the event noted that the competition has already produced players who have gone on to represent Kenya at different age-group levels.
“We have had a couple of students being identified from this event and they've played in the Kenya U12, U10 and U16 as well,” Omanyala explained.
“So we've seen very good success stories from this and I'm happy that we've had to achieve that kind of success.”
The fifth edition is the latest chapter in a project Omanyala says is part of his desire to give back to sport beyond athletics.
“I just want to be the one to be giving back every time in different sports,” he disclosed. “Tennis has grown and I'm happy to be part of it.”
The growth of the tournament has also strengthened its role as an entry point for children who may otherwise have limited opportunities to compete.
Tennis Kenya Secretary General and Omanyala Tennis 10s Tournament Director Nancy Nduku disclose the event was launched in 2022, when Omanyala became a JTI ambassador, with the objective of promoting tennis in schools and supporting grassroots development.
“The event is basically to identify and nurture the next generation of tennis stars,” said Nduku.
She revealed that several winners from previous editions have progressed into national teams and represented Kenya at the East Africa and Africa Under-12 championships.
Among the success stories, she cited Muyanze Kahi and Fidel Nyabera, while noting that the tournament continues to expand its reach.
“We continue to see growth, we continue to see participation and it is actually the biggest guest event in Tennis Kenya calendar in terms of numbers,” said Nduku.
The federation hopes to take the initiative beyond Nairobi, with plans to explore additional editions in Mombasa and western Kenya.
For Tennis Kenya Technical Director Rosemary Owino, the significance of the tournament lies not only in identifying winners, but in giving children an opportunity to experience competitive tennis at an early age.
“Training is different from actually competing,” said Owino.
She explained that competition teaches children skills that cannot be fully acquired during routine training sessions, including scoring, coping with pressure, playing unfamiliar opponents and learning how to respond to both winning and losing.
“It's important that kids learn how to lose or win points here. They understand how to compete. They understand how to score. They understand how to play with other kids that they don't know,” she said.
Owino also challenged the idea that young players should wait until they are considered “ready” before entering tournaments.
“There’s never anything like they're not ready,” she advised. “Bring the kids, whether they're ready or not. This is the only place they get ready.”
She cautioned parents and coaches against placing too much emphasis on results at Under-10 level, arguing that children should first learn the fundamentals, enjoy the sport and develop through competition.
“Winning is the last part of bringing the kids to these events,” said Owino. “Winning can be at number five, six, while all the other things are already in place. Then winning comes.”
For parents such as Lynn Sereya, the tournament provides an important bridge between training and meaningful competition.
Sereya brought two children to the event, Nayla competing in the Under-6 category and Mayian in the Under-10 Green category. She described the tournament as critical to the development pathway because of the diversity of players it attracts.
“A child gets to experience all this. And then they also get to network with other children,” said Sereya. “It's a good opportunity for them to socialise, make new friends.”
She also welcomed the presence of St John Ambulance, which provided first-aid and basic first-aid skills as part of the event.
For Sereya, the tournament offers a more complete learning experience — competition, social interaction, exposure and life skills — while allowing parents and coaches to exchange ideas.
She believes such opportunities can help prepare children for regional, continental and eventually international competition.
“It all starts here in such tournaments like Omanyala,” she said.
Sereya also pointed to the accessibility of the tournament, saying the relatively low entry fee gives children from different backgrounds an opportunity to participate. She called for more sponsorship to help talented children who may struggle to meet tournament costs.
“Once you train them, it's very critical that they play tournaments to put into practice what they have already learned,” she added.
Beyond tennis, Sereya sees the sport as an important tool in children's broader development. She disclosed that tennis combines physical activity with concentration and problem-solving, while also teaching children how to cope with setbacks.
“Life is not linear. We have ups and downs,” she said. “Tennis teaches a child” to find a way of bouncing back after a loss.
Owino agreed that parental involvement is central to junior tennis, saying parents and coaches need to work together as children progress.
“At this level, we need the parents. You can see the parents everywhere,” she said.
She suggested that future editions could incorporate a short parents' education session to help families understand the demands of junior tennis and manage expectations around winning.
The tournament already includes elements beyond competition, including first-aid education, while music and other activities have created what Owino described as a festival-like atmosphere appropriate for young children.
“We need more smiles. We have to have a lot more kids at this level,” she added.
The importance of family support was echoed by other parents at Nairobi Club.
Wanjiku, the mother of young player Njeri, said her daughter began playing tennis at the age of three while in kindergarten, driven by her own interest in the sport.
“She has the personal drive,” explained Wanjiku, adding that the family ensures her tennis fees are paid and provides additional coaching outside school.
She said Njeri's commitment has remained strong, sometimes even pushing the family to take her to training when they might otherwise have considered skipping a session.
Wanjiku also sees match practice as an important part of her daughter's development because tennis demands both physical and mental skills.
“She is able to study her opponent to be able to pick out what is their weakness,” she said.
At the tournament, Gibson Kimani was similarly focused on giving his son Adrian room to discover his sporting interests.
“It is important for parents to support their children in sports,” Kimani said. “I will support Adrian in all sports he will attempt and then from there we will see which sport he is best at.”
Adrian, who currently participates in tennis and swimming, summed up his experience simply: “I have enjoyed myself here at Omanyala Tennis 10s.”
That sense of enjoyment is central to what organisers hope the tournament will achieve.
Omanyala said the growing turnout demonstrated the appetite for opportunities where children can compete and showcase their abilities.
“It's nice to see kids out here giving them platforms,” he said.
“It's nice to see such events and being part of events like this that identify and give them a platform to just perform.”
Five years after its launch, the Omanyala Tennis 10s is therefore evolving beyond a single junior tournament. For Tennis Kenya, it is a grassroots development platform; for coaches, a laboratory where young players learn to compete; and for parents, an opportunity to expose their children to the demands and rewards of sport.
And for the children on court, the journey starts with a racket, a ball, an opponent — and the chance to discover just how far they can go.
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