'Vibrant, energetic, future oriented': Burundi back on junior calendar
Burundi has reached another major milestone in 2025 with the nation hosting ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors events for the first time since 2014.
Back-to-back Juniors tournaments at J30 level are being staged in the nation's capital city Bujumbura, the first from 18-24 August and the second from 25-31 August.
Despite being one of the world’s poorest nations, Burundi is making significant strides to grow tennis at all levels.
These historic Juniors tournaments follow the ITF World Tennis Tour Women's events which took place for the first time in 2023 – at W25 level – and have taken place again in 2024 and 2025 – most recently as higher-level W50s.
Meanwhile, Sada Nahimana – currently world No. 224 – made history by becoming the first Burundian player – man or woman – to feature at a Grand Slam when she competed in US Open qualifying this week.
The growth of tennis in Burundi reflects the ITF’s mission to broaden opportunity, support talent and improve tennis around the world for future generations. The continent of Africa has been a beneficiary of this vision.
A decade ago, in 2015, there were only 44 ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors events hosted in Africa across 12 nations. This figure increased to 76 in 2019 and is expected to increase again to 155 across 25 nations this year.
Supported by the ITF – through coach education, funding, participation and performance programmes – the Fédération de Tennis du Burundi has played a crucial role in bringing World Tennis Tour Juniors events back to the African nation for the first time in eleven years.
“The federation is very vibrant, energetic, and future oriented," said General Secretary Evariste Bankimbaga.
"We want to motivate our local players by giving them the opportunity to compete against others who are young like them and play amazing tennis.
"Our aim is to move forward by hosting as many tournaments as possible so that tennis can be valued at a higher level in Burundi."
With hugely successful women’s professional tournaments each year, a burgeoning star like Nahimana and new opportunities for junior talent to emerge on the international stage, Burundi is certainly would appear to be a nation on the rise.