Adeleye fires Nigeria into Davis Cup World Group II as tennis surge continues

...We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of these players – NSC 

...This promotion reflects the direction Nigerian sports are taking and the renewed belief – Honourable Olopade

By Maxwell Kumoye 

  

  

Nigeria’s steady tennis revival over the last 15 months hit a new high on Sunday as the country clinched promotion to the Davis Cup World Group II, powering past Uzbekistan in front of an electric home crowd in Lagos.

At the heart of it all was Daniel Adeleye, calm, ruthless and unshakeable when it mattered most. With Nigeria holding a 2–1 advantage after the doubles, Adeleye sealed the tie in style, dispatching Ilya Ignatov 6–3, 6–4 to hand the hosts an unassailable 3–1 lead and spark celebrations at the historic Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, 1895.

It was a statement win. Not just of a tie, but of a sport clearly on the rise.

Nigeria’s campaign was built on grit and clarity of purpose. After Saturday’s singles ended evenly at 1–1, the momentum swung decisively on Sunday morning when Canice Abua and Michael Emmanuel delivered a nerve-shredding but crucial doubles victory. 

Their 7–6, 6–4 triumph over Khumoyun Sultanov and Denis Istomin tilted the contest Nigeria’s way and set the tone for a dominant final push.

Adeleye made sure there was no looking back.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) was quick to salute the achievement, with Director General Honourable Bukola Olopade hailed the players, officials and organisers for delivering a successful home tie and a landmark result.

“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of these players and the Nigeria Tennis Federation,” Olopade said. 

“This promotion reflects the direction Nigerian sports are taking and the renewed belief that we can compete and win at the highest levels.”

Beyond the immediate success, the promotion tells a bigger story is one of consistency, planning and belief. 

Over the last 15 months, Nigerian tennis has quietly gathered momentum, improved player support, better-organized international fixtures, growing confidence on home courts and a visible hunger among the athletes to compete toe-to-toe with established nations.

That upward curve is being backed by action. Olopade revealed that the Commission recently disbursed grants running into hundreds of thousands of dollars to 26 athletes as part of preparations for major global competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games which is a sign of intent that is beginning to translate into results.

For Nigerian tennis, the step into Davis Cup World Group II is more than promotion. It is validation. Proof that sustained effort is paying off, that depth is growing, and that the gap with the world is narrowing.

With players delivering under pressure and administrators providing clearer support, Nigerian tennis is no longer just promising progress, it is producing it. And judging by the last 15 months, this climb may only be getting started.