Except a last-minute change of mind, Nigeria's current number one male tennis player, Daniel Adeleye has revealed that he will not be representing Team Nigeria at the Davis Cup World Group II in September, Sportinglens.blogspot.com reports.
Nigeria
qualified for the Davis Cup World Group II after defeating Uzbekistan 3-1
during a playoffs event held inside the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos
over the weekend.
The
Ekiti-state born tennis sensation produced a heroic performance during
Nigeria’s triumph against Uzbekistan, winning two games out of Nigeria's four
games played in the two-day event.
Adeleye fought back from a set down to drag Nigeria back into the tie with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 final set win over Uzbekistan’s Abdelaziz Usmonjonov in the second rubber after the visitors had started the playoffs tie with a straight sets win as Khumoyun Sultanov (ATP 615) defeated Nigeria’s Canice Abua 6-3, 6-4 in the first rubber.
Also, the
19-year-old player, buoyed by the crowd, won the second game with a 6-3, 6-4
triumph over Ilya Ignatov to fire Nigeria to Davis Cup World Group II.
Nigeria
will know their World Group II opponents when the ITF releases the draw for the
event on conclusion of all World Group I playoff ties.
The World
Group II tie is scheduled to hold in September, 2026 and the venue will be
announced alongside the opponents.
In a chat
with SportingLife after the tie, Adeleye said he is ready to focus on his
personal career and pursue individual games.
“Before
that time (Davis Cup World Group II tie) we may have another championship again
and I cannot guarantee I will be there (with Team Nigeria). Although, if I’m
not going to be there, they will still have my support. I don't think I will be
there because I want to work on myself.
Now, it is time for my life. There is Nigeria and there is life. I wish
them good luck and better days ahead,” Adeleye told Sportinglens.blogspot.com.
Adeleye is
expected to participate in an individual game in Tunisia on Friday as he
described Davis Cup World Group II playoffs tie as a good warm up for the
event.
“After
this, by next week Friday I will be in Tunisia to play for myself and not the
country. This is a good warm up for me,” Adeleye said on his next move after
the playoffs tie.
Speaking on
his back-to-back victory for Nigeria against Uzbekistan, Adeleye added:
“Nigerians have been expecting this. I think before I came here it’s has been
planned based on my scores. My coach said to me that ‘Daniel you are good and
you don’t need to prove anything to the people’.
“About the
winning, it’s something I have been expecting long time ago ever since the game
I played in Zimbabwe. I have been playing for Nigeria for over 18 years and
ever since I have been playing for Nigeria, I have never lost a battle for my
country. Although, individually I have lost games, but I have vowed that I will
never lose on Nigeria’s side as long as I put on this shirt.”
On the
players he faced during the playoffs’ tie, the Lagos-based tennis star said: “I
have been traveling around before the Davis Cup playoffs and I have seen a lot
of people like that, and I have always said to myself that they are not better
than me but they have better facilities to train with than me. I have always said to myself that whenever I
have a chance to prove myself, I will always grab it which I did today. I was
very excited since I won the first game and I will always proof myself over and
over again. This win is good for me. For me to do it for my country, I can also
do it for myself. It is a big congratulation for me.”
Before
Davis cup playoffs, Adeleye had played at ITF Men's World Tennis Tour events
held in Luanda, Angola (M15 Luanda) in November 2024, Men's World Tennis Tour
in Rwanda (M25 Kigali) tournaments in 2025. He has also played tournaments at
Lagos country Club, Ikeja.
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