Abubakar Yakubu Lea, a Ghanaian tennis player, has etched his name into the annals of Shawnee State University’s sports history by becoming the institution’s inaugural tennis player to achieve a national ranking by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association-National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (ITA-NAIA).

Currently positioned at an impressive 68th in the national rankings, Yakubu Lea has surpassed Spaniard Gonzaga Lafarga (69th) but narrowly missed out on overtaking fellow Spaniard Borja Delgado (67th), as per the latest ITA rankings unveiled on May 2, 2024.

Securing a national ranking within the ITA-NAIA domain marks a significant milestone for Yakubu Lea, making him the first-ever tennis player, regardless of gender, to achieve such recognition.

Throughout his remarkable 2024 season, Yakubu Lea demonstrated his prowess by amassing an 11-6 record in official matches, along with an additional victory in exhibition play.

His accomplishments include earning the River States Conference Newcomer of the Year award and defeating Jose Andres Perez Perez, the River States Conference’s Player of the Year and the 36th-ranked player nationally.

Additionally, as a freshman, Yakubu Lea triumphed over NCAA Division I singles talent Carlos Rodriguez Gonzalez, who held the top singles position for Lindenwood University and secured notable victories over Saint Louis University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Amassing two River States Conference Player of the Week accolades during the spring season, Yakubu Lea boasts an impressive International Tennis Federation World Tennis Number of 17.9.

In doubles competition, he achieved a 7-7 record and is poised to play a more prominent role in this aspect in the upcoming season.

Despite facing formidable opponents, Yakubu Lea’s six losses came against highly ranked competition, including players ranked in the top 25 nationally within their respective associations.

His defeats included narrow margins against top-ranked opponents such as Vaclav Schneider (No. 4 ITA-NAIA), Timur Chsherbakov (No. 24 ITA-NAIA), Max Barriere (No. 38 ITA-NAIA), Issac Steiner (No. 44 ITA-NAIA), and Kael Shalin Shah (No. 9 NCAA Division III).