Canice Abua and Etoro Emmanuel Bassey have etched their names into Nigerian tennis history after emerging as the men’s and women’s singles champions at the 47th Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Senior National Open Tennis Championship in Abuja.
The duo claimed their maiden national singles titles at the prestigious tournament, joining an elite list of players who have conquered Nigeria’s premier tennis championship.
Abua, Nigeria’s top-ranked male player, delivered a commanding performance in the men’s singles final, defeating defending champion Michael Emmanuel 6-1, 6-2 at the National Tennis Centre, Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The victory further underlined Abua’s dominance on the domestic circuit. After winning the 2025 Dala Open and the 2025 Joseph Ikyaator Open, he added the coveted CBN Open crown to an impressive collection of titles.
Despite a brief rain interruption during the final, Abua remained composed and relentless, overpowering Emmanuel with aggressive baseline play and remarkable consistency to secure one of the biggest victories of his career.
In the women’s singles final, Etoro Bassey showcased grit and determination as she rallied from a set down to defeat Success Ogunjobi 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 and claim her first CBN Open title.
The GEUF Tennis Academy player responded brilliantly after losing a closely fought opening set, dominating the second set before maintaining her momentum in the decider to complete a memorable comeback victory.
Bassey’s triumph marks a significant rise in her career. Having finished runner-up at the 2025 VEMP Open, she took a major step forward by capturing Nigeria’s most prestigious tennis title just a year later.
While Ogunjobi missed out on the singles crown, she found success in the women’s doubles event, partnering top seed Khadijat Mohammed to defeat Etoro Bassey and Favour James 6-2, 6-7(2), 10-6 in an exciting final.
The championship also produced standout performances in the wheelchair tennis category. Andrea Usoh captured the women’s wheelchair singles title with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory over Chituru Nwazuzu, securing her first CBN championship after a decade of competing in the tournament.
Alex Adewale successfully defended his men’s wheelchair singles title, defeating Rasaq Bankole 6-0, 6-1 to reaffirm his status as one of Nigeria’s leading wheelchair tennis players.
The 47th edition of the CBN Open featured a total prize purse of ₦13.1 million, with the men’s singles event offering ₦4.7 million and the women’s singles category ₦3.1 million. Both singles champions received ₦1 million each for their title-winning performances.
Their victories not only crowned them champions of Nigeria’s biggest tennis tournament but also confirmed Canice Abua and Etoro Bassey as two of the brightest stars shaping the future of Nigerian tennis.
