Yego Bags Nellions Open Crown, Shifts Focus to ITF Success

BY JEFF OLUBUYI

Stacy Yego believes she is playing some of the best tennis of her career after claiming the women's singles title at the 2026 Nellions Tennis Open at Parklands Sports Club on Saturday.

The 18-year-old top seed trounced second seed Felicia Ouko 7-5, 6-2 in the final to end an impressive campaign that she hopes will provide the perfect springboard for her upcoming International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments.

Yego, who trains at 254 Racquet Club in Loresho, Nairobi, noted that the competition had given her valuable match practice and an opportunity to assess her progress against other female players before returning to the international circuit.

"It has been a really good tournament for me. I've played really good matches. I've been growing a lot in my game and that has helped me come through in this tournament," observed Yego.

"I've been working really hard and, as I said, it's good for me because it's a warm-up tournament before the ITF in two weeks. This was really good for me. I needed this. I needed different matches."

The teenager explained that practising regularly with boys had made the opportunity to face female opponents particularly important as she prepares for international competition.

"I practise with boys, so it was good to play girls in this tournament and just have a realistic play of how I would play in the ITF," she explained.

Yego's victory was built on a series of confident performances against a competitive women's field.

After receiving a first-round bye, she began her onslaught with a comprehensive 6-0, 6-0 victory over Zipporah Ng'endo.

She then thrashed seventh seed Tumelo Kimunya 6-2, 6-1 before overcoming third seed Seline Ahoya 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals.

The final against Ouko, however, proved a more demanding examination of her composure and consistency.

Yego took the opening set 7-5 before maintaining her advantage in the second to win 6-2 and secure the championship.

The champion added that she was pleased with the quality of the final and praised her opponent, noting that both players had made significant strides in their development.

"The final was a really good match. I played Felicia Ouko. It was good playing her. We've played each other before and it was a competitive match," said Yego.

"I'm happy with how both of us played. It's good to see good players in Kenya right now. Felicia is still young. We have a long way to go. It's good to see us growing every day. Definitely, both of us have improved by a lot."

Despite her satisfaction with the performance, Yego acknowledged that reducing unforced errors remained an area she needed to address before her next assignments.

"I'm happy with how I played, although just a few errors here and there. I could work on that," she observed.

"Just reduce my unforced errors. Otherwise, I think I'm playing the best tennis I've played in a long time, so I'm really happy."

Her victory came in the absence of Faith Urasa, who won the inaugural Nellions Open but did not enter this year's competition. Yego took advantage of the opportunity to add another title to an already productive 2026 season.

The teenager said her improvement had not been limited to technical aspects of the game, pointing to greater maturity and a stronger mentality on court.

"My 2026 has been great. I think it's been a good year. I've grown a lot in terms of mentality on the court. Attitude-wise, I think that's really good. That's what I've been looking forward to, seeing myself grow a lot on the court," she added.

Her progress has been reflected in a busy schedule of international competition, including appearances at ITF events and the Billie Jean King Cup, where she was pleased to represent Kenya again.

She disclosed that the national-team experience had boosted her confidence and reinforced her belief in her abilities.

Among her achievements this year are singles titles at two J30 tournaments in Uganda, as well as doubles success alongside Ouko at both events.

She also won doubles titles in Parklands in May and at Nairobi Club in July, adding to her growing collection of honours.

Yego now has her sights set on the upcoming J60 tournaments at Nairobi Club, scheduled to begin on October 26, as well as a J100 event.

"Those are my highlights of this month, so I'm looking forward to them, training a lot and working towards playing that tournament," she said.

The 2026 Nellions Open women's singles event attracted 18 players. Ouko finished runner-up, Bathsheba Ogamba took third place and Ahoya finished fourth.

The tournament's organisers and sponsors welcomed the high standard of competition, with Nellions chief executive Cosmas Kamuyu expressing optimism that continued investment in tennis would help raise the level of the game in Kenya.

For Yego, the Parklands title represents both a reward for her hard work and a timely confidence boost as she prepares for a demanding run of international tournaments.

With improved court temperament, growing experience and a busy schedule ahead, the teenager will be hoping to translate her domestic success into further results on the ITF circuit.