At just 13 years old, Randburg’s Michael Gell is already making waves on the tennis court. Trained by Jayson Cerovic at Supreme Tennis Development, Michael’s journey began at age three when his grandmother, Stefania Rocha, introduced him to the sport at Boskruin Tennis Club. “My gran loves tennis and wanted all her grandchildren to play,” Gell recalled.

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Gell is more than happy to prepare for tennis practice 10 hours a week, which involves waking up before dawn. He does private and group courses, as well as conditioning, after school. His family also supports him and assists with transport and tournament scheduling.

Gell plays in 20 Tennis South Africa tournaments every year and has already played in four International Tennis Federation tournaments. His most memorable achievements were the Rising Stars competition, where he came from behind to win, and the North West Guts tournament, where he fought tooth and nail through a three-set semi-final. “In that moment, I took losses hard, but I bounced back quickly,” he said.

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Gell is inspired by Rafael Nadal for his tenacity and hopes to one day move to America to pursue a tennis scholarship. Gell added, “Hopefully, in five years I’ll be in college with a scholarship. My dream is to play in America and go as far as the sport allows.”

With talent, discipline, and strong family support, Michael is proving to be one of Randburg’s rising tennis stars.

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