If six titles weren’t enough, American rising star Eaden-Zack Harron returned to Kigali, Rwanda, to add a seventh ITF Junior title to his name, finishing his summer season on a high note with a new career-high ranking of No. 511 in the world.
Just turning 17 years old, Harron continues to showcase the poise, talent, and ambition of a player with a very bright future.
For Harron, Kigali has become more than just another stop on the ITF Junior Tour. With its welcoming hospitality, beautiful weather, and red clay courts as fine and powdery as those at Roland Garros, Rwanda’s capital has begun to feel like a second home.
The setting was picture-perfect: a center court with newly built fan stands, surrounded by five other equally thrilling courts, each providing ample seating for both local and international fans. The grounds themselves were alive with excitement, buzzing with players, coaches, and tennis enthusiasts from all over the world.
What stood out most this time was the energy of the crowd. From early morning matches to the late-evening battles under the Kigali skies, fans cheered loudly for spectacular rallies and showed admiration for players from every nation. Young kids with rackets in hand chased after balls between matches, hoping to one day follow in the footsteps of the athletes they watched.
For Harron, this atmosphere was a reminder that tennis is not only a competition, but a shared celebration of the sport’s spirit — one that Kigali delivers in abundance.
At the heart of this success lies the hard work of Theoneste Karenzi, President of the Rwanda Tennis Federation, who, along with a dedicated team of ITF officials, tournament directors, and volunteers, delivered another flawless event.
Players from four continents gathered in Kigali for a truly international competition, all of them remarking on the professionalism and warmth of the tournament.
Reflecting on his victory in Kigali, the rising tennis star said, "I am thrilled to have experienced such a thrilling tournament and to clinch my seventh title.”
But what’s more impressive, he said, is the evidence seen from Karenzi doing such an amazing job not only organizing an incredible J60 event that attracted so many talented players but also committing to growing tennis in Rwanda.
"Seeing local kids lining up to jump on court immediately after the tournament ended was such a heartening feeling. Looking at the way some of them move and hit the ball, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a future superstar emerge from Rwanda,” he said.
With his seventh trophy secured, Harron now returns to his hometown of Miami Florida to continue training and preparing for what he hopes will be his first-ever Futures Tournament at an M25 event to be hosted in Kigali from October 13-19. It will mark his initial steps into the professional ranks — and potentially his first ATP point.
As Eaden-Zack put it, "The sky might be the limit, but I would be thrilled to start my professional tennis career and capture my first professional point under the Kigali sky.”
For Kigali, the memories of Harron’s victories will linger as part of its growing tennis legacy. And for Harron, Kigali remains a place of triumph, inspiration, and possibility — a city that keeps welcoming him back and pushing him closer to his dreams.