Tennis Kenya on plan to stage Davis Cup next year after successful hosting of 2026 edition

Davis Cup Tournament Director Francis Mutuku says Kenya has already begun talks with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to see to it that the country gets another chance to host the Group IV Africa regional tournam

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Mutuku, speaking after the conclusion of the three-day event at Nairobi Club, said he was grateful to have served in the team that made the tournament a success, and was hopeful for Kenya not to have to wait for another six years to host it again.

“Personally I am very grateful to have been part of the organizing team,” Mutuku, who also serves Vice President of Tennis Kenya, said. “I have enjoyed the experience, and I think that the Tennis Kenya team this year has done the best to give players the best environment to excel on the court.”

Francis Mutuku ©Tennis Kenya

On the court, favorites Algeria and Ghana secured promotion into the Davis Cup Group Three tournament, while it was a sense of relief for hosts Kenya, as they overcame Mozambique in a relegation playoff, to confirm their spot in Group IV next year.

Kenya’s Liberty Kibue won the opening singles match 6-0, 6-1 against Rui Costa Tembe, with Kael Shah completing a 2-0 singles sweep by defeating Luca Santiago De Sousa Figueiredo 6-2, 6-2 in the second rubber.

Kibue then partnered with Zayyan Virani to secure a 6-4, 7-6 doubles victory over Luca Santiago De Sousa Figueiredo and Eric Patrick Sigauque, sealing a comfortable 3-0 win, that make their record at the tournament 2-2.

On Kenya’s performance, Mutuku said: “It was a very good team, extremely good team, and they performed at their best to remain in the group. Now we have to continue the preparation, because it’s a never-ending story. After the final, its the next game, and the next game is preparation, and looking forward to the next Davis Cup.“

Kenya knocked out of Davis Cup promotion after painful loss to Ghana

The next step for Kenya, as per Mutuku, is to ensure the tournament returns back to Kenya next year.

“I am sure the council will consider hosting it,” he said. “Normally it is a practice to have it two years in a row, and we hope the ITF can favour us with that opportunity to do it again.We have certainly started engaging them, so that we can get an that chance to have another one week of great tennis in the country.”

Before this year, the last time Kenya had hosted the Davis Cup was back in 2019.