Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo is set to spearhead Africa’s early campaign at the 2025 WTT US Smash preliminary rounds in Las Vegas, as the prestigious tournament gets underway at the Orleans Arena from July 3 to 13, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 2019 African Games champion will make his return to the global stage in the men’s singles preliminary round, where he faces wildcard entrant Victor Xie of the United States on Friday, July 4 (today).
Despite a current world ranking of 162, Omotayo is expected to have the upper hand against the 777th-ranked Chinese-born American.
Omotayo, who now splits his base between the United States and France, is aiming to fight his way into the main draw of the $1.55m WTT Grand Smash, the first ever to be hosted on American soil.
A difficult path lies ahead, but the Nigerian star’s international experience makes him one of Africa’s brightest hopes in the tournament’s opening phase.
Joining him from the continent in the preliminary round is Egyptian veteran Mohamed El-Beiali, who will square off against Slovenia’s Deni Kozul.
El-Beiali’s compatriot, Mahmoud Helmy, takes on American Ved Sheth, while Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa meets Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson.
Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou completes the African men’s singles line-up with a match against Spain’s Juan Perez.
In the women’s category, Egypt’s Yosura Helmy will be Africa’s sole representative in the preliminary round. She faces a challenging tie against American player Mandy Yu.
Several African stars have already booked their places in the main draws.
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Omar Assar are among the seeded names in the men’s singles, while Egypt’s Hana Goda, Dina Meshref, and Mariam Alhodaby will launch their campaigns from the main round in the women’s singles.
Global attention is focused on the 11-day event, which has attracted some of the biggest names in the sport.
China’s world champion Wang Chuqin expressed his excitement ahead of the event.
“Las Vegas often hosts world-class sports events. I’m looking forward to showcasing myself in such a unique atmosphere where sports and entertainment meet.”
Sweden’s Anton Kallberg and American players Lily Zhang and Kanak Jha also shared their anticipation of competing in a city famed for its spectacle and energy.
