Nigerian teenager Seun Ogunsakin has recorded his first Grand Slam main-draw victory, defeating 15th seed Kuan-Shou Chen of Chinese Taipei 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 in the US Open boys’ singles on Sunday.
The 17-year-old recovered from dropping the opening set to produce a spirited comeback, securing his place in the second round of the junior competition at Flushing Meadows.
Ogunsakin, who trains at Aurum Tennis Academy, was made to dig deep against the highly rated Chen but held his nerve in the decisive set to complete the three-set victory and claim a significant milestone in his young career.
The win marks Ogunsakin’s first main-draw triumph at a Grand Slam junior tournament, having made his debut at that level earlier this year. He had earned his place in the US Open main draw through qualifying, beating Poland’s Tymon Litwic 6-3, 6-0 to book his spot in the competition.
Ogunsakin’s appearance in New York also marks his third consecutive Grand Slam outing of the year, having previously competed at the French Open before featuring at Wimbledon.
His victory over the world No. 15 junior further underlines his progress on the international circuit, where he continues to gain valuable experience against some of the world’s leading young players.
Ogunsakin will face South Africa’s Connor Doig in the second round on Tuesday, September 8, as he looks to build on his impressive start and extend his run at Flushing Meadows. The Nigerian teenager will also be aiming to surpass his previous Grand Slam performances and keep alive his ambition of reaching the junior quarter-finals.
The landmark victory represents another important step in Ogunsakin’s development, as he continues to make steady progress on the junior circuit and emerge as one of Nigeria’s promising prospects in international tennis.
