The 2026 Accra Professional Ladies Open has officially ended, with Côte d’Ivoire’s Sadjo Coulibaly emerging as champion after an impressive run in the tournament.
The competition, which began on March 3 at the Accra Lawn Tennis Club, wrapped up on March 8 at the Backyard Club after a week of competitive matches among female tennis players.
The tournament, organised to celebrate women from diverse backgrounds while marking International Women’s Day, also aimed to promote female participation in tennis and encourage more young girls to take up the sport.
In the final match, Ghana’s Philipina Serwornu faced Côte d’Ivoire’s Coulibaly in a highly anticipated clash. Coulibaly, however, proved too strong on the day, winning in straight sets to secure the title.
Serwornu finished as the first runner-up and received cash prizes and souvenirs, while Coulibaly walked away with the top prize, including a sponsorship package from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to travel to Europe for training.
Speaking to JoySports, Corporate Accounts Manager at KLM, Angela Quarcoo-Tchire emphasised the importance of supporting women in sports.
“At KLM, we believe in connecting people and fostering meaningful experiences, and this tournament [the Accra Professional Ladies Open] does that, empowering women and building strong communities, and showcases talents,” she said.
“In time past, this sport [tennis] used to be male-dominated, but now females are getting into it, and I think it’s inspiring,” she added.
Co-organiser of the tournament, Naa Shika Adu, also stressed the importance of creating platforms that encourage women to stay active through sports.
“ for a county like Ghana where we do work out but it’s not our culture, it’s not a lifestyle, we don’t see women waking up each and everyday prioritizing sports or workout it’s extremely important to have the [Accra Professional ladies open] on international women’s day to celebrate the young girls who have chosen to play the sports,” she said speaking to JoySports
“…especially women or girls who face a lot of discrimination,” she added.
The conclusion of the tournament marks another step in efforts to grow women’s tennis in Ghana while providing a platform for emerging players across the region to showcase their talent.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com