Nahimana reaps reward from ITF Junior Player Grant
Burundi’s Sada Nahimana put her ITF Junior Player Grant to good use after winning both the singles and doubles titles at the new J1 event in Nottingham last week.
The 18 year-old, who has earned a career-high ranking of No. 13 following her brace of titles, used her funding to make the trip to the UK with her coach, Khalid Lhamidi, for the grasscourt season.
“The ITF gave me a grant to play tournaments,” explained Nahimana, the highest ranked junior girl from Africa and one of 15 players to receive an ITF Junior Player Grant in 2019. “This year I used it for this tour – I’m not part of the touring team. I’m here with my coach, which is good because I always train with him every day and he knows me.”
Nahimana, who lives and practices at the ITF Training Centre in Morocco, clinched her first Grade 1 title in Nottingham dropping just one set in her five singles matches. She defeated USA’s Hurricane Tyra Black in the final after the American retired with a back injury while trailing 6-4 2-1.
In the doubles event, Nahimana teamed up with Liubov Kostenko, who is part of the Grand Slam Development Fund’s A Team for Wimbledon.
“It’s a step forward for me,” reflected Nahimana on her week in Nottingham. “I never won a G1. I’d made finals before, and I’ve made quite a lot of finals and didn’t win, so last week it was great that I won. Doubles was great, I played good and me and my doubles partner worked well.”
Nahimana is a veteran of Grand Slam Development Fund Touring Teams and has fond memories of the experience that she has gained from the initiative.
“You get to meet new people from different countries,” she added. “The girls are great, the coaches also, we get to share ideas. It’s good energy, there’s a lot of positivity, we support each other. It’s nice.”
Looking ahead, Nahimana lost in the opening round of singles at the J1 Roehampton event, but remains confident going into Wimbledon Juniors.
“I think I’m well prepared for Wimbledon,” she said. “It’s good for me to practice and to be in shape. I will focus on doubles [at Roehampton] as I’m out of singles. I think I have all kinds of game – I can slice, I can be aggressive, I can be defensive – so I think that helps on the grass.”