Ogunsakin makes Nigerian Grand Slam history as Africa asserts itself
Oluwaseun Peter Ogunsakin has made history at the US Open by becoming the first Nigerian player to win a Grand Slam main draw singles match – across pro and junior draws – since Nduka Odizor at the 1990 Australian Open.
Ogunsakin defeated Kuan-Shou Chen of Chinese Taipei to advance to the second round at the US Open Junior Championships where he will face Connor Doig of South Africa for a place in round three.
This follows Ogunsakin’s heroics at Wimbledon in July. By navigating qualifying for the Junior Championships, Wimbledon, the 17-year-old became the first Nigerian to reach the main of a Grand Slam – pro or junior – since Odizor at the 1990 US Open.
There was a wonderful video posted across World Tennis social media of the moment Oluwaseun’s proud father, Akinwunmi, found out his son was to play in the Junior Championships main draw. That pride will now have intensified.
For context, Akinwunmi introduced his son to tennis before he joined the African Regional Training Centre in Sousse, Tunisia – a performance hub for players aged 13-18. World Tennis financially supports this regional training project.
Indeed, Ogunsakin also benefitted from the Touring Team programme earlier this year. He travelled to Europe as part of the World Tennis-operated Grand Slam Player Development Programme Touring Team – the B team, which is typically for players aged 17 and under.
He returned to Europe after using a portion of his 2026 Grand Slam Player Grant – distributed by World Tennis on behalf of the four Grand Slams – to fund his travel to compete at the Junior Championships qualifying.
It was quite the story and Ogunsakin is now in New York as part of the Touring Team, pushing boundaries, making history and asserting his nation on the international tennis stage.
View this post on Instagram
“It’s been an interesting year for me so far and I’ve had some very good results,” said Ogunsakin.
“I know I'm able to perform at this level but I’m happy with the way I'm performing, and those performances are getting results. It's a really good feeling when you're getting these kinds of results. It shows the steps I am taking are big enough.
“And I am learning every time I go to a new tournament – that is always a new learning process for me. Even when I lose or have a bad match, I try to learn from it. Because, like my coaches say, there's no such thing as losing, it is always learning.
“But I also know that every time I'm out there, all eyes are on me. I know I'm not just representing myself. I'm representing my country, my family and my tennis academy.
“I'm always trying to be a good role model for the younger ones out there so they can know everything is possible. Whatever their dream, however big or small, I want to show that it’s always achievable for them.”
There is also a deeper narrative at play here. This year was the first time since 2003 that three boys from African nations – Doig, Ntungamili Raguin of Botswana and Ogunsakin – reached the main draw at the US Open Junior Championships.
The 2024 World Tennis Global Tennis Report noted a shift in the sport’s landscape with a surge of players and competitive depth coming from previously underrepresented nations and regions.
The report also charted significant growth in participation and emerging talent across Asia, the Americas and Africa. Perhaps events at the US Open is further evidence of this becoming a reality.
A full list of results from the 2026 US Open Junior Championships can be found here