The Golgotha Tennis Club in Yaounde, between the 3rd and 5th of March 2026, became the centre of world tennis, hosting an extraordinary event that will go down in history. After more than 30 years of dedication to the sport, Atanga Nji Paul, known as one of the most resilient amateur tennis players in Cameroon, made history.
In his professional life, as CEO of a financial institution for over 20 years before being appointed by President Paul Biya as Minister in charge of special duties and later Minister of Territorial Administration, Atanga Nji Paul has remained deeply committed to tennis. A passionate sponsor of the sport, he has been organizing annual tournaments since 1986 to support young players, many of whom have gone on to become coaches.
On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, Atanga Nji Paul played three consecutive matches against two former top-ranked ITF players and the current number two player in Cameroon’s national league.
All matches, played as best of five sets under ITF regulations, had a unique feature: in an attempt to set a world record, Atanga Nji Paul remained on one side of the court where the official event timing device was placed, in full view of cameras to ensure transparency and accuracy of match statistics.
In the first match, Atanga faced Cedric Pioline (57), former world No. 5, who won in three sets after a competitive 1 hour 15 minutes (6-1, 6-2, 6-4). Less than 90 seconds later, Atanga began his second match against Moroccan tennis legend Younes El Aynaoui (former ATP No. 14), who also won in three sets (6-3, 6-2, 6-2) after 1 hour 20 minutes. The third match followed against Aba’a Felix, Cameroon’s current No. 2 senior player, who secured victory in three sets (6-2, 6-2, 6-3) after 1 hour 30 minutes.
During these encounters, each opponent was allowed brief breaks of 30 to 90 seconds for refreshments, in accordance with ITF rules. However, Atanga Nji Paul—who named the event “The Resistance Tournament”—remained standing throughout the entire 4 hours and 10 minutes of play. He neither sat down nor consumed water or juice, demonstrating exceptional endurance against highly trained professional players.
The first two matches were officiated by renowned referee Pascal Maria, who has overseen 14 Grand Slam tournaments, including finals such as Nadal vs Federer and Djokovic vs Nadal. After the matches, he stated that he had never witnessed such physical resistance from a 65-year-old non-professional player. The third match was officiated by Egyptian referee Mrs. Hala Badreldin Youssef Abdelaal.
Remarkably, just 24 hours later, on March 5th, 2026, Atanga Nji Paul returned to the court to play three more consecutive matches. He faced former professionals Doumbia Yahiya and Hicham Arazi (former ATP No. 11), before concluding with another match against Cameroon’s No. 2 player, Aba’a Felix, this time on a water-covered court in an “aqua tennis” format.
Once again, he remained standing for 3 hours and 20 minutes without drinking water or taking significant breaks. This second performance confirmed that his initial feat was not accidental but a deliberate demonstration of endurance aimed at setting a world record in tennis and sport in general.
Among the notable witnesses was Yannick Noah, winner of Roland Garros in 1983, who expressed astonishment at the unprecedented level of resistance displayed. Football legends Roger Milla and Joseph Antoine Bell, also present, echoed similar sentiments, noting they had never seen such endurance in any sport.
At the end of the first day, after more than four hours of continuous play without rest or hydration, Atanga Nji Paul performed an additional display by executing 100 shots while balancing with both legs on the tennis net frame, further proving his remarkable physical condition.
This extraordinary achievement is expected to transcend national and continental boundaries. With a team of professional cameramen documenting the event using multiple cameras, the performance is being prepared for submission to the Guinness World Records as a historic milestone in sports endurance.
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