By KPC Sports Reporter
Tennis Kenya has launched a landmark partnership with French authorities aimed at accelerating the development of young Kenyan tennis players through elite international exposure and technical exchange programmes.
The partnership was unveiled in the southern French city of Istres, where Tennis Kenya President Wanjiru Mbugua-Karani met newly elected Mayor Robin Prétot to formalize an exchange programme between Istres Sport Tennis Club and Tennis Kenya.
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The programme will see players from both countries train together and compete against each other through reciprocal visits designed to expose young athletes to different playing environments and coaching systems.
Mbugua-Karani said the agreement presents a major opportunity for Kenyan players to benefit from world-class facilities and elite coaching programmes at Istres, whose clay courts helped shape French tennis stars including Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gaël Monfils and Richard Gasquet.
“It is a great opportunity for our players to be welcomed to this city. The people of Istres have been very gracious, very open and very welcoming,” Mbugua-Karani said.
“They have so much for our players to make use of — their courts, their facilities, their coaches. This is such a great step for Tennis Kenya and for the City of Istres.”
Mayor Prétot welcomed the partnership, saying it would also help French players gain international exposure and cultural exchange opportunities.
“We are very honoured to have this relation with Kenya and with the tennis federation of Kenya. It’s always a pleasure to welcome you and to welcome your team,” he said.
“To improve this kind of partnership and co-operation is very important for our city and our country too.”
Mbugua-Karani emphasized that the arrangement would benefit both countries, noting that French players and officials would also visit Kenya as part of the collaboration.
“We are not just coming to Istres, but we are welcoming them to come to Kenya, to get a feel of Kenya, to understand Kenya and to know Kenya,” she said. “We are very excited about this and looking forward to hosting them in Nairobi too.”
She added that the initiative had received full backing from the Kenyan government and the Cabinet Secretary for Sports.
During her visit, the Tennis Kenya president toured the facilities at Istres Sport Tennis Club alongside club director and elite coach Laurent Vigne.
The club features outdoor courts with next-generation artificial clay surfaces, squash and padel courts, and a large indoor padel centre built by French football legend Zinedine Zidane, who hails from the region.
Istres Sport Tennis Club currently employs 10 professional coaches who train more than 800 members across all age groups and skill levels, including baby tennis, tennis school, adult lessons, competition programmes and adapted sports.
Mbugua-Karani revealed that two Kenyan under-16 players, Jeff Okuku and Aum Chandarana, had already trained at the club earlier this year and benefited greatly from the experience.
“They have great programmes here and great coaches. We are looking for opportunities for our players, especially the younger ones — the 12 and under, the 14 and under,” she said.
“We want them to start at this age by exposing them to international tennis, and this club and Laurent have given us that opportunity.”
She said France’s status as one of the world’s leading tennis nations made the partnership particularly valuable for Kenya’s long-term player development ambitions.
“France is one of the biggest tennis countries and so we feel this collaboration in France will really boost our players’ level. We are very grateful for this opportunity,” she added.
Laurent Vigne welcomed the collaboration, describing it as an exciting project focused on nurturing young talent.
“This is a project for the children and as director and coach, I’m really excited about this project,” he said.
Tennis Kenya is also expected to finalize another major partnership with the French Tennis Federation this weekend on the sidelines of the French Open at Roland-Garros in the presence of Kenya’s Ambassador to Paris, Betty Cherwon, and senior officials from both countries.
A key component of the partnership will include technical knowledge transfer focusing on clay court development.
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