The finely cut grass is definitely greener on the North-West University- and the Riaan Venter Tennis Academy’s side. They are in the privileged position of having the only grass-court facilities in South Africa. This is a massive statement of intent towards their dream of establishing world-class sporting facilities in Potchefstroom. The pristine, Wimbledon-esque grass courts were officially opened in March 2020, after the long-term plan to create a multi-surface tennis centre came to fruition. The grass courts bring a new dynamic to NWU Tennis, not only on an aesthetic but also a professional level as the number one all-round destination for tennis in the country.
The addition of grass courts is a fantastic sporting opportunity in terms of marketing and financial potential. It also forms part of a larger picture for this multi-surface tennis centre. It will feature hard court, grass and clay surfaces by June 2021. Riaan Venter, the head of the Riaan Venter Tennis Academy, is excited and optimistic about the potential these grass courts bring to the NWU and Potchefstroom as a whole. “One of the biggest gaps has been the availability of grass courts for local and national players to practise and play on ahead of major grass-court tournaments like Wimbledon. We believe these courts could open up massive opportunities,” stated Venter. 
Trompie Group was responsible for installing the grass courts, which took approximately six months, due to their expertise with grass surfaces. According to Venter, the grass courts are a dream come true and one step closer to establishing NWU Tennis as a world-class tennis facility.
“Firstly, the new grass courts help develop young players as it gives them the chance to play on various surfaces. Grass courts give a different feel with top-spin or slice shots behaving differently than on a hard court, for instance. The more surfaces junior tennis players are exposed to, the better they grow as players,” stated Venter. 
The grass courts are designed to strict ITF (International Tennis Federation) standards, with the grass being cut daily and lines being redrawn weekly. Another exciting aspect is that more international tournaments and international players could come to Potch to train on the multi-surface facilities. “We want to raise this tennis facility to the next level. One way would be to host more tournaments and get international players to the facility to train ahead of major open tournaments,” emphasised Venter.
