The experiences of a 17-year-old South African and an 18-year-old Ivorian show how hard it can be for youngsters from their continent to make it in
Tennis but also what is possible
Khololwam Montsi has always been a dreamer. Before he had ever entered a tennis tournament, he was imagining himself winning
Wimbledon. In lieu of any role models or a path trodden before them, dreams are what black African tennis players have. They are to be held on to and guarded. So when people have attempted to tread on Montsi’s aspirations, questioning whether a 5ft 5in player such as him can succeed, he simply used it as further motivation.
“Me wanting to prove people wrong, I was like: ‘OK, I’m gonna do this thing and I’m gonna work hard every day. I’m gonna beat everyone that I can,’” he says. “If I lose, I lose, I go back to the drawing board. But I’m on a mission, really.”