African Games champion Angela Okutoyi will play in the W75 Charlottesville tournament in the USA next week as the hunt for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualification continues.
The 2022 Wimbledon Doubles junior champion needs to be in the top 400 by June 10 to qualify for the Olympics. She has lined up five tournaments between now and the cut-off date.
The three-time Kenya Open champion has stepped up her preparation after a break following her win during the Africa Games last month in Accra, Ghana.
"I'm rested and refreshed for the next phase which is vital for qualification for the Olympics. I am looking forward to earning as many rankings points to qualify for the Olympics," she said.
"It's a race against time but I am working hard with my college coaching team to improve on certain aspects of play. The WTA tournaments are competitive. You meet some of the world's best players and must be at your best.”
Okutoyi is also preparing for the Billie Jean King Cup to be held at the Nairobi Club, Nairobi, for the second year.
Kenya target promotion to Group 2.
Okutoyi is ranked 544th in the world. She did not earn points in Accra since the African Games are not sanctioned by the WTA.
"I will take it one tournament at a time, one match at a time. I do not want to get ahead of myself but I will give it my best shot," she said.
The 20-year-old wants to become the first Kenyan to qualify for the Olympics.
