NAIROBI, Kenya, May 27, 2026 – The historic, record-shattering collegiate career of Kenyan tennis prodigy Angella Okutoyi has reached another monumental milestone in the United States.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) officially announced that Okutoyi and her Egyptian partner, Merna Refaat, have been named ITA Doubles All-Americans for the 2025/2026 collegiate tennis season.
The prestigious All-American status is reserved exclusively for the absolute elite of American collegiate tennis.
To earn the honor in doubles, a pairing must either win the ITA All-American Championship, reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship, or finish inside the top 10 of the final ITA National Doubles Rankings.
Okutoyi and Refaat comfortably cemented their elite status by wrapping up their spectacular campaign ranked No. 7 nationally.
The accolade caps off a legendary season for the dynamic African pairing at Auburn University.
Operating primarily out of the No. 2 doubles slot for the Tigers, Okutoyi and Refaat became an absolute nightmare for opposing programs, compiling a stellar 19-4 record over the spring, including an incredibly dominant 6-1 run in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play.
The peak of their season arrived during the postseason, where they put the team on their backs.
The duo won five high-stakes matches during Auburn’s deep NCAA tournament run, earning them a well-deserved spot on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team and anchoring the Tigers all the way to the national finals.
For Okutoyi, becoming an All-American adds yet another glittering line to a resume that has completely redefined Kenyan tennis.
Before transforming Auburn University into a national powerhouse, which included leading the program to its first-ever SEC Regular Season and Tournament titles earlier this season, Okutoyi was already a household name globally.
She made history as the first-ever Kenyan to win a Grand Slam title when she captured the 2022 Wimbledon Girls’ Doubles Championship alongside Rose Marie Nijkamp.
The African Games champion became the first Kenyan representative to advance to the third round of a singles major at the 2022 Australian Open.
On the senior continental stage, she captured the Singles Gold Medal at the African Games, defeating Egypt’s world-renowned Mayar Sherif en route to the podium.
Now performing at the absolute apex of the NCAA circuit, the 22-year-old Nairobi native continues to prove that she belongs on the world’s biggest stages.
For Angella Okutoyi, this recognition isn’t just a personal victory, it is further validation that Kenya is a legitimate force to be reckoned with on the global tennis landscape.
