Alafia Ayeni

Alafia Ayeni
Country (sports) United States
Born (1999-08-10) August 10, 1999 (age 27)
Walnut Creek, California
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
PlaysRight-handed
CollegeCornell, University of Kentucky
Prize moneyUS $156,898
Singles
Career record0–0 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 395 (June 12, 2023)
Current rankingNo. 434 (October 19, 2026)
Doubles
Career record0–0 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 176 (October 19, 2026)
Current rankingNo. 176 (October 19, 2026)
Last updated on: October 19, 2026.

Alafia Ayeni (born August 10, 1999) is an American tennis player. He has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 395 achieved on June 12, 2023 and a doubles ranking of No. 176 achieved on October 19, 2026.

Early life

Raised in San Diego, California, he is the son of Anthony Ayeni and Pamela Hinkson Ayeni, and he has one brother and one sister. He attended Westview High School, prior to attending Cornell University. He then transferred to the University of Kentucky, where he won all-American honours in June 2023.

Career

2017: Juniors

In April 2017, Ayeni won the Easter Bowl USTA Junior Spring Nationals played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. He defeated Sebastian Korda, 6-4, 0-6, 7-5, to win the final.

2018-2025: First pro titles

In November 2025, playing alongside compatriot Daniel Milavsky, Ayeni won his first title on the ATP Challenger Tour, winning the men's doubles at the 2025 Challenger Temuco in Chile, where they defeated Juan Carlos Aguilar and Federico Zeballos on a match tie-break. He also defeated the top seed Juan Manuel Cerúndolo to reach the semifinals in singles at the tournament.

Personal life

The son of a Pamela and Anthony, his mother is a software engineer. He is of Nigerian descent; his father is from Nigeria and moved to the United States at the age of 17 and works as a lawyer. Ayeni taught himself to play piano. In 2022, Ayeni launched his own brand Team 3x, designed to help empower minorities overcome structural barriers and social stigmas in sport. Profits from his clothing line is used to assist junior tennis players in southern California.

References

  1. ↑ "Alafia Ayeni". atptour. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Alafia Ayeni". cornelbigred. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ Welsh, Greg (June 5, 2023). "Men's Tennis' Ayeni, Draxl Named ITA All-Americans". Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Alafia Ayeni, Claire Liu win titles". April 2, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Surprise in La Araucanía: Cerúndolo says goodbye and Ayeni steals the show at the Temuco Challenger". Radio Universal.cl. November 28, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Davis Cup: Who Is Alafia Ayeni, Listed To Represent Nigeria?". January 14, 2026. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  7. ↑ Tennis, I. T. A. (July 25, 2023). "ATP Tour - Alafia Ayeni's Goal: 'Overturn Cultural Stigmas'". ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Alafia Ayeni's Goal: 'Overturn Cultural Stigmas'". ATP. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.