Alberton’s international tennis star hoists country’s flag high
After numerous achievements, internationally renowned tennis player Tatenda Mutetwa says it is of great pride to him to be a flag bearer for the country.
At 19, Tatenda Mutetwa, an internationally ranked tennis player, has rubbed shoulders with big names and is now gunning to go pro.
The sky is the limit for Tatenda who earned a life-changing tennis scholarship to pursue his passion for tennis in the States.
He was given a four-year bursary to play tennis at Lewis University in Chicago and to represent the school in tennis.
Over these years he will be studying for a degree in supply chain management.
The Hoërskool Marais Viljoen High School alumni left South Africa in his matric year to pursue his tennis dream in America.
He has since been back on home soil for about three months, getting ready for the new season which starts on September 6.
“I had an injury which I have now recovered. In the three months that I have been here, I’ve been preparing physically and mentally. Life is good as an athlete back in the US, advantages come with it. However, the transition is difficult, the competition there is a lot tougher and it does take a few months to settle in,” Tatenda said.
Speaking to the Alberton Record, he said he started slowly when he first got there.
“It took a while to start getting results. Once you’ve settled in, it becomes a bit easier to adjust. That place is the hub of tennis, you get internationally ranked tennis players coming from all over the world,” he explained.
Keeping tabs
In the duration that he was in the US, Tatenda bagged three big U18 titles.
“The career world high ranking I achieved as a junior is probably one notable achievement I attained. I’ve managed to play twice in the biggest tournament in the world, Orange Bowl International Tennis. You have to be the best player in your nation to be selected. There you get to face the number one player of each country in the world,” he said.
Tatenda reiterated that the scholarship he secured is also a big deal.
Fully geared and prepared, he will be going back to the US on August 31 ahead of the season.
“After my four years of schooling and playing tennis, I plan on fully declaring to go pro. If you have a dream, just go after it and everything will fall into place,” he said.
He also thanked his sponsors, Prominent Roofing Alberton, Sport and Fitness Gym and Real Athletes Tennis Academy for their assistance.
Potential sponsors may contact Tatenda via email at tatendatennis@gmail.com
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