Rose Abu, a Nigerian retired national tennis player and tennis umpire, joins the list of Nigerians who have had the opportunity to officiate at Roland Garros, popularly known as the French Open, in Paris, France, in 2024.
This marks her first time at the French Open, as well as her first Grand Slam on clay, which she finds both challenging and exciting, offering her a brand new experience compared to all other tournaments she has participated in.
Her role as an umpire at one of tennis’ biggest games, Roland Garros, serves as a platform for her to learn from a different approach in order to share the experience with others in Nigeria.
Following her return to Nigeria, Rose Abu coordinated the first edition of the Advantage All Tennis workshop for female tennis umpires in Nigeria. The workshop aimed to share knowledge and experience, particularly from her recent officiating role at the French Open 2024. She mentioned, “Nigerian umpires can benefit from my experience because we are giving back to the country. I can’t go out, learn so much, and keep it to myself.”
This demonstrates how eager Rose Abu is to teach and impart knowledge to her fellow umpires right here in Nigeria.