It is common knowledge that no success in sport is possible without hard work, perseverance, and discipline. Therefore, young sportsmen are often encouraged to make these virtues part of their approach.

So, how important are good genes then? Let’s put it this way: Good genes are certainly not the alpha and omega, but if you meet all the above criteria and are also blessed with good genes, success should not easily elude you.

Probably the best evidence for this statement is the tennis achievements of Tristan Summers, a primary school boy from Midstream in Centurion. The 11-year-old Summers’ recent triumph in the u.11 division of the prestigious international “Little Mo” tennis tournament in Florida, America, is proof that he is destined for greater things on the tennis court.

After defeating his American opponent, Stanley Oriala Jr, in the singles, Summers teamed up with Oriala to win the doubles title at the same tournament.

The so called  “Little Mo” tournaments (named after the tennis legend Maureen Connolly Brinker and managed by the foundation that also bears her name) count among the most important and prestigious junior tennis tournaments in the world, consistently attracting the most gifted tennis players. Each year over 2 000 players from America and more than 70 other countries play in the “Little Mo” tournaments.

So, where does the genes aspect come into play? According to his father, Brett, this boy was literally born with a racket in his hand. The Summers family, which is also associated with the Wilson brand in South Africa, is synonymous with tennis in this country.

Tristan’s great-grandmother, Sheila, was a three-time mixed doubles Grand Slam champion, winning the French Open in 1947 and 1949, as well as Wimbledon in 1949. His grandmother, Anita (known by her maiden surname, Van Deventer) played in the Wimbledon tournament in the late 1960s, while his grandfather, Rohan Summers, was a top 100 male player in the ATP series.

And finally, Cindy Summers, Brett’s sister and Tristan’s aunt, also played professional tennis.

The young Tristan currently has a Universal Tennis Rating (URT) of 7.27 in singles and 6.64 in doubles, which is exceptionally good for his age. No wonder he is currently regarded as South Africa’s number one u.12 player.

In 2022, when he was only 10 years old, he was the youngest boy to make a Super 8 final at national level, while he also reached the final of the Gauteng East Super 8 competition.

This year he won both the singles and doubles in the national Super 8 competition, while as an 11-year-old he was the singles champion in the section for 14-year-olds in the Gauteng North Wilson tournament.

These are just some of the many titles that this promising young man has won in the past few years, while the scenario where he beats much older boys is a regular phenomenon.

The young champion certainly has big tennis dreams. His favourite tournament and the one he would most like to win one day is Wimbledon. And as it should be, his heroes come from the younger generation of international stars – men like the Italian, Jannik Sinner and the Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz.

Although he is currently doing very well on hard surface courts, he loves clay courts.

“It’s more fun to play on it,” Summers told Rekord.

He will probably be able to have fun again on clay courts when he goes to train and play at the famous Emilio Since Academy in Spain for four weeks later this year.

So, remember the name Tristan Summers. This boy’s tennis future is bright. Although the family has not yet decided exactly what options he will pursue during his high school years and beyond, they know one thing for sure – tennis will be the central factor that will guide his plans for the future.

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