Saudi tennis player Yara Al-Haqbani defeated her Israeli competitor Rini Nikishov with a score of two sets to none, continuing her outstanding performance in international competitions and reaching the quarter-finals of the Nairobi International Tennis Championship. Yara excelled in the Nairobi tournament by defeating Kenyan player Alicia Oyuji in the first round, followed by a win against Romanian Maia Visan in the second round with a score of 6-1, 6-2. She then swept Israeli Rini Nikishov with a score of 6-0, 6-2, advancing successfully in the tournament to the quarter-finals.
Yara is set to face her British competitor Jody Cole in the quarter-finals of the international tournament. Should she win, she will qualify for the semi-finals, marking another achievement for Saudi sports. Yara Al-Haqbani is currently ranked 767th globally among professional female tennis players, despite her young age, as she was born in 2004 and began her tennis career early on, representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in various global tournaments.
The champion recently participated in the Dubai International Championship, where she exited in the second round after losing to Russian Kira Matyushikina. She also reached the round of 16 in the Fujairah Tennis Championship before being eliminated after a tough match against Bulgarian Eva Bosed with a score of 3-6, 6-7. She returned to excel in February of this year during the Nairobi Championship, advancing to the quarter-finals, which represents her biggest achievement so far in 2022.
Yara Al-Haqbani has played 16 matches in J3, J4, and J5 tennis tournaments in 2021, achieving 8 wins and 8 losses, resulting in a 50% success rate. So far in 2022, she has participated in 7 matches, winning 4 and losing 3 in J4 and J5 competitions. Since turning professional several years ago, Yara has become the youngest tennis player in the Kingdom, achieving significant victories in international arenas, including her recent qualification for the quarter-finals of the Nairobi International Championship. She has represented the Kingdom in junior tournaments, WTA Future events, and Islamic Solidarity tournaments, and she is also the first Saudi woman to enter the professional players' rankings, being registered with Al-Ittihad Club since 2018.
