If you are familiar with the world of tennis, you might have heard of Serena Williams, along with her sister Venus, who are widely recognized for their exceptional tennis achievements. Both sisters were coached by their parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, from a very young age. Their story is similar to that of Kelia Iliza Kabano, a US-based Rwandan tennis prodigy who, at just 14, is chasing her dream of becoming a professional tennis player. “I don’t remember well the first time I picked up the racket to play tennis, but I think it was when I was six or seven years old,” recalls Kabano who is representing the Unites States at the ’ ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors/J30’, a two-weekend tennis tournament for players, aged 18 and under, taking place in Kigali since April 27. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Kabano has already introduced herself to the tennis game as a professional player. Wondering where her career aspiration comes from? The fact that she hails from a sports family sparked her love for tennis to the extent that she is now travelling parts of the world doing tennis tournament tours. Kellia’s father, Mike Kabano, played tennis, while her mother, Rosine Kabaziga Kabano, played volleyball and her elder brother, Kenrik Kabano, is also a basketball player and he is already showing what he can offer to the game when he was part of Rwanda’s U16 squad that participated at the 2023 Afrobasket tournament that took place in Tunisia. Meanwhile, at the age of nine, Kellia’s younger brother, Kai Manzi Kabano, is also stepping a foot into sports where he juggles both soccer and tennis. But tennis wasn’t Kellia’s first choice in the first place. She first gave swimming a shot before tennis stole her heart. ALSO READ: Kenrik Kabano: The meteoric rise of the Rwandan basketball prospect “In the US, it’s not always easy to support your kids because everyone is under pressure to work, but for me and my husband (Mike), we have been there supporting our kids,” Kellia’s mother Rosine Kabaziga told Times Sport. Kabaziga had to stop everything and traveled back to her roots with her daughter who is eager to leave a mark on Kigali’s clay court. The first week of the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors was one to forget for Kellia as she bowed out in the first round but seeing her mother always watching her play from the stands keep her going. She is now in the second round of the tournament second week where she will face India’s Jannat Chiripal on Wednesday, April 30. Chiripal reached the final of the first week where she lost to countrywoman Janvi Asawa in the final. On her side, knowing that her family understands the athlete's journey and supports her on and off the court makes it easier for her when she has a bad game. Moreover, seeing Rwanda’s U16 basketball shooting guard her brother Kenrik, raising his motherland's national flag when he was with Rwanda U16 team in the 2024 Afrobasket also fueled her passion to do the same in tennis, expressing her interest in switching Rwanda from representing the US. “Yes, I would like to represent Rwanda, because my parents are from here. I want to show and give that support to my country,” Kabano told Times Sport. ALSO READ: Sean Mwesigwa: The basketball kid aspiring for ‘big things’ on the floor Kabano’s parents have always been supportive ever since she decided to pursue tennis as a career. Her mother is aware how demanding tennis is but always pledges to offer full support to her daughter emotionally and mentally so they can grow in her career just like any other kid from their family who wants to pursue a particular profession. “We pretty much expose our kids to different sports at their young age. Once they have already chosen what they want to pursue, it’s our job to be there 100 percent, and even if they lose, we are the first ones to say, like, ‘He or she got this,’” said Kabano’s mother. Taking a leaf from Sabalenka Kabano has an objective to become ‘someone very special’ in the world of tennis. Her decision to pursue tennis was inspired by Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka, the current world No1 in the world according to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. She's known for her powerful serves and aggressive baseline play. Sabalenka has won 19 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including three Grand Slams. “I like her because, of course, she makes it to the finals, but sometimes she’s not winning them. So she can get second or she can lose in the semis, but I'm inspired by how she bounces back and comes back for the next tournament,” she said. While she acknowledges that sport helps her to shape the future, Kabano also dreams about being a medical doctor. On the other hand, sports reunite her family when it comes to supporting each other.
