Ogunsakin Records First Grand Slam Main-Draw Win

Nigeria’s teenage tennis prospect Oluwaseun “Seun” Ogunsakin has secured his first victory in the main draw of a Grand Slam junior tournament after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Kuan-Shou Chen at the 2026 US Open Junior Championships.

The 17-year-old Aurum Tennis Academy player fought back from losing the opening set to defeat the 15th seed 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 in a competitive first-round encounter in New York.

Ogunsakin’s victory marks the first time he has won a match in the main draw of a Grand Slam junior tournament, representing a major milestone in his rapidly developing career.

The Nigerian entered the 64-player main draw through qualifying after an impressive campaign. He defeated Poland’s Tymon Litwic 6-3, 6-0 before producing a notable upset against Canada’s top-seeded qualifier Felix Roussel, winning 6-3, 6-4 to secure his place in the main draw.

Against Chen, ranked 16th in the world junior rankings, Ogunsakin showed considerable resilience after surrendering the opening set 7-5.

He responded strongly in the second set, breaking away to win 6-3 and force a decider. The Nigerian maintained his composure in the final set and eventually prevailed 7-5 to complete the comeback.

The victory continues an encouraging year for Ogunsakin, who has competed in three consecutive junior Grand Slam tournaments.

He began his Grand Slam campaign at the French Open Junior Championships, where he reached the second qualifying round, before progressing into the singles main draw at Wimbledon. At Wimbledon, he also enjoyed a strong run in the boys’ doubles competition, reaching the semi-finals.

His breakthrough in New York further underlines his progress on the international junior circuit and strengthens his reputation as one of Nigeria’s most promising young tennis players.

Ogunsakin will now turn his attention to the second round of the US Open Juniors, where he will look to build on his landmark victory and continue his impressive campaign.

For Nigerian tennis, his performance provides another encouraging sign of the emergence of a new generation of players capable of competing successfully on the international stage.