By Nii Otoe Bruce-Tagoe
ACCRA, Ghana – September 22, 2026: Eight young tennis players from Backyard Academy have departed Ghana for London, beginning an experience that could leave a lasting mark on their young sporting journeys.
The carefully selected group, put together by contemporary artist Amoako Boafo at ON’s invitation, will experience the atmosphere of the Laver Cup while taking part in a wider programme of activities arranged by Boafo.
For the youngsters, however, this is about much more than watching some of the biggest names in tennis compete.
It is an opportunity to step outside their familiar surroundings, experience international tennis up close, and begin to imagine what their own futures in the sport might look like.
The team will connect in London with Nii Otoe Bruce-Tagoe, founder and Chief Photo Editor of Twenty-Nine Photo Studio, who will serve as the group’s official photographer throughout the Laver Cup experience.
Bruce-Tagoe has spent years documenting tennis and other sports in Ghana and internationally. His work has taken him to major competitions across Africa, while his achievements include being ranked Africa’s No.1 Continental Action Sports Photographer by AIPS in 2023 and among the Top 10 in 2024.
He was also shortlisted among the Top 10 for the 2025 ITF Tennis Photograph of the Year and was accredited to cover the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, further adding to his experience on major international sporting stages.
This time, however, his assignment is particularly personal: following nine young Ghanaian players as they experience London and the Laver Cup for themselves.
Boafo’s wider programme for the team is expected to expose the youngsters to experiences beyond the tennis court, creating an opportunity to connect sport with art, culture and the wider world.
For Backyard Academy, the journey is another reminder that developing young players is not only about training, matches and rankings. Sometimes, it is about allowing them to see what exists beyond the court — and giving them the chance to dream bigger.
The nine players may have travelled thousands of miles from Ghana, but they arrive in London carrying something far more important than their tennis bags: curiosity, ambition and the belief that one day, the biggest stages of world tennis could belong to them too.
