MUKAZA, April 20 (ABP) – The W50 international women’s tennis tournament, which had been taking place since April 6 in Bujumbura, on the clay courts of Entente Sportive, ended on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
The singles final match pitted Burundian champion Sada Nahimana against France’s Alice Tubello. Despite a very high level of play, Nahimana lost with a score of 0 sets to 2 (1–6; 3–6). Tubello thus reclaimed the first place she had held in 2024. In 2025, it was Nahimana who had been crowned champion on the same Entente Sportive courts.
The minister in charge of sports, Lydia Nsekera, who honored the event with her presence, thanked all the foreign athletes and their entourages (parents and coaches) who responded to the invitation of the Burundi Tennis Federation. “You gave us a great show. Congratulations!” she emphasized. Nsekera stated that at the ministry level, women’s sports are being promoted.
On the other hand, as chairman of the National Olympic Committee, she pointed out that from now on, boys and girls participate equally in international competitions. Ms. Nsekera specified that without female athletes, male athletes are sanctioned by being barred from participating in these competitions. To prevent such a situation, she stressed the importance for sports federations to include girls and boys equally (50/50) in competitions.
For his part, the president of the Burundi Tennis Federation, Gilbert Nibigirwe, said that the competition lived up to all its promises. “We had players from all over the world who delivered exceptional matches,” he noted. Nibigirwe believes it is a source of pride for Burundi to have organized this international tournament. “It gives us more opportunities in the future to organize competitions of this scale,” he said confidently.
Regarding the organization of similar tournaments for men, he assured that the Burundi Tennis Federation will soon organize such competitions, noting that it is in contact with the International Tennis Federation to set an appropriate schedule.
Nibigirwe warmly thanked the ministry in charge of sports for its support, the event organizers, as well as the Federation’s sponsors.
Sada Nahimana, the Burundian international, thanked all those who were involved. “Today was a good final. I did my best. I hope that everyone who came learned something,” she said regarding her performance. She called on other girls to show greater enthusiasm for tennis.
Champion Alice Tubello also said that she and Nahimana played a very high-level match. “I started the match with good intentions; I knew that if I managed to stick to them, I had a great chance of winning,” she explained, describing why she won her duel against Nahimana. Tubello said she hopes to return next year to defend her title and do her best to climb the rankings.
In passing, she wished her friend Nahimana success in winning titles, moving forward, and reaching the Grand Slams.
A total of 63 matches were played over the two weeks, including 48 singles and 15 doubles.