The Rwanda Tennis Federation (RTF) has introduced monthly tennis competitions dubbed ‘National Championship’, aimed at giving Rwandan players from all categories a consistent platform to compete and improve their level of performance. The country last organised similar competitions some 20 years back. ALSO READ: ‘Future Champions’ tourney paves way for tennis hopefuls The competitions will be taking place on the last weekend of every month. However, the federation decided to hold the inaugural edition in early September as it served as an opportunity to rank and select players who will represent at the upcoming Rwanda Open M25 whose second edition is scheduled for September 23 to October 6, at IPRC Kigali courts. The same courts hosted the National Championship which took on September 9. Building national ranking system According to the federation, a national ranking system has been established where players’ points will be recorded at the end of every edition. The tournaments started in men’s category, both singles and doubles, and it will be extended to women in the coming editions. Players of various age groups —from juniors under 12, 14, 16, and 18, to elite players will all be involved in the national championship. Coach will also refer to the ranking system in selecting players to represent the country in various international competitions. It will also be used to identify players eligible for tennis scholarships and other opportunities that will arise as they continue to grow in the sport. For instance, the September ranking will be used in identifying players who will participate in the Rwanda Open M25. The decision to establish this competition is part of the resolutions of the meeting held at the end of the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors Grade 4, also known as J60, which recently took place in Kigali. The meeting was chaired by Rwanda Tennis Federation Theoneste Karenzi, alongside Thierry Ntwali, the ITF Regional Development Officer for East Africa. Explaining the idea to reintroduce the monthly national championship, Karenzi emphasised that hosting international tournaments in Rwanda has motivated the federation to create more opportunities for local players to improve their skills. “By giving our players regular, competitive matches, we aim to prepare them better for future international tournaments,” he said. Such national competitions haven’t been held in Rwanda for the past 20 years, and their return is expected to significantly raise the level of local players, Karenzi said. Benefits of the national championship Rwanda has hosted numerous international tournaments, including the Billie Jean King Cup for women, ITF Juniors (J60), Rwanda Open M25, and Rwanda Challenger for men. However, Rwandan players often struggle to perform at the desired level, with many attributing this to lack of local competitions that would prepare them to challenge their counterparts at the international level. Karenzi noted that Rwandan players stand to gain valuable experience from these competitions. “Competing in international tournaments requires financial resources, which has been a challenge for our players. Many of them lack the means to compete abroad,” he said. “One of the key advantages of hosting these tournaments is that it brings the competition closer to our players, giving them a chance to participate without the financial burden. It’s an opportunity for them to measure themselves against top international talent and learn from their peers.” Karenzi acknowledged that, while the results have not always been favorable for Rwandan players, the solution lies in giving them more opportunities to compete. “What these foreign players have, which ours don’t have, is that they play in more tournaments. We believe that this National Championship will help our players improve their game.” Who is the Number One? The first edition of the National Championship took place on September 9, at the IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Club. It started with competitions in men's category. Claude Ishimwe now lead the September rankings after winning the championship in both singles. In men’s singles, Ishimwe emerged victorious after he defeated Joshua Muhire 6-3, 6-2 in the final while, in men’s doubles, he and Etienne Niyigene emerged winners after beating Muhire and Yvan Ngarambe 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Muhire tops the rankings with 225 combined points from both singles and doubles. Joshua Muhire follows in second place with 160 points with Etienne Niyigena emerging third with 115 points while David Rwamucyo and Fabrice Tuyishime complete the top five with 97.5 and 62.5 points respectively.
