South African tennis star Kgothatso Montjane sets sights on Wimbledon
Breakfast with Martin Bester spoke to South African tennis star Kgothatso Montjane ahead of her return to Wimbledon.
Speaking to Martin Bester, the tennis star shared her journey of becoming one of South Africa’s greatest wheelchair tennis players.
Born in Polokwane, Limpopo, with a congenital disability, Kgothatso Montjane underwent a single amputation below the knee at 12.
She began her tennis career at 19 years of age when she received the equipment necessary for her to play wheelchair tennis.
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Kgothatso completed a BSC in Recreation and Leisure at the University of Venda in 2010.
She currently trains at the University of Pretoria and is arguably one of South Africa's most successful athletes.
The Limpopo-born tennis player is currently ranked first in South Africa and fourth in the ITF World Wheelchair Tennis rankings.
Montjane became the first South African woman to win a French Open title since Tanya Harford and Rosalyn Fairbank's victory in 1981.
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Montjane told Martin Bester that there is a lot of pressure playing at Wimbledon as it’s “a very classy event”.
“Playing doubles have also been hectic as we don’t have the luxury or opportunity to practice doubles together,” said Montjane speaking about her doubles partner.
The Roland Garros women's wheelchair doubles champion has now set her sights on a Wimbledon triumph with her partner Yui Kamiji, to finally claim the title the South African Paralympian has most desired in her career.
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Montjane also feels that she has unfinished business at Wimbledon, particularly because she was the first black South African woman to compete in 2018 and reached both the singles and doubles finals in 2021.
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