When EtoroAbasi Bassey walked onto the court for the women’s singles final of the 2026 CBN National Open Tennis Championship in Abuja on Saturday, she knew she was one victory away from the biggest title of her career.
A few hours later, the Akwa Ibom teenager had achieved that dream.
Etoro produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Success Ogunjobi 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 and claim her maiden CBN National Open Tennis Championship title at the Tennis Centre of the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
The victory crowned a memorable tournament for the talented youngster, who has continued to establish herself as one of Nigeria’s most promising tennis players.
The journey to the title was far from easy.
Before reaching the final, Etoro produced one of the standout performances of the championship when she defeated Plateau State’s Suwa Nenrot, the Niger Delta Games gold medallist, 6-1, 6-0 in the quarter-finals.
She then survived a tough semi-final battle against Bright Emmanuel, winning 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 to secure her place in the final.
Awaiting her was Success Ogunjobi, who had earlier eliminated top seed Mohammed Khadijat to set up a highly anticipated title clash.
The final began in favour of Ogunjobi, who edged the first set 6-4 and looked on course for victory.
However, Etoro had other ideas.
Showing great determination and composure, she completely turned the match around in the second set, dominating her opponent and winning 6-0.
With confidence flowing and momentum firmly on her side, the Akwa Ibom star continued to dictate play in the deciding set. She maintained her intensity and eventually sealed a 6-3 victory to lift the trophy.
The triumph adds another major achievement to an impressive season for the young player.
Earlier this year, Etoro enjoyed success at the Niger Delta Games in Edo State, where she won gold in the doubles event and silver in the singles competition.
Her latest accomplishment was warmly celebrated in Akwa Ibom.
Reacting to the victory, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, described the achievement as richly deserved and praised the progress the player has made in recent years.
Bassey also credited Governor Umo Eno’s investment in sports infrastructure and athlete development for helping young talents reach their potential.
“Today in Akwa Ibom, courtesy of Governor Umo Eno, we have state-of-the-art sports equipment that our athletes can train with, which is at par with what is obtainable anywhere in the world. This gives our athletes a comparative advantage over their counterparts elsewhere,” he said.
The commissioner expressed confidence that Etoro could achieve even greater success in the future.
“As you may have noticed, she started off by dominating at the state level, then became a regional champion, and now a national champion. I cannot wait to support her to become an African and world champion sooner rather than later,” Bassey added.
For Etoro Bassey, Saturday’s victory was more than just a title win. It was another significant step in a journey that continues to gather momentum and one that many believe could lead to even greater achievements on the African and world tennis stage.
The CBN National Open Championship, which began on June 12, ended with a colourful closing ceremony featuring the presentation of medals and trophies to the winners.
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