Montjane suffers defeat at Wimbledon
Wimbeldon semi-finalist Kgothatso Montjane may have not made it to the final, but to locals within the city as well as Limpopo she remains a hero.
LIMPOPO – Also known as KG, the 33-year-old faced defending champion Diede de Groot for the second consecutive semi-final clash between the two at the All England Club.
She was defeated in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-2. Last year, Montjane’s fairytale Wimbledon debut came to an end in the semifinal, also against De Groot.
Montjane already brags with being an international tennis star because of her hard work and establishing a formidable presence on the international wheelchair tennis circuit.
The former number one ranked player in South Africa and current world number seven, says it all came by chance.
“Honestly, I picked up my love for the sport along the way. I was forced to play tennis at high school and when I went to varsity, wheelchair tennis was the only sport available for me to play. I had to join because I always loved playing sport,” she tells CV.
Montjane adds that being born with a disability is always a big deal in a place as rural as Limpopo because of the stigma surrounding people with disabilities.
“I was fortunate that my parents sent me to a boarding school for people with disabilities, so that I could realise I’m not the only one who was born different. This helped me be confident about myself and view life differently,” she explains. Montjane says making it in the tennis world is a very big deal for her, because she has put a lot of hard work into it.
She has been able to help other players understand that they can do a lot in the sport, despite being in a wheelchair.
Her advice and message to young players who look up to her and also want to be at the top is to never give up, no matter how difficult it might be. “Strive to be better and not just like other people. Make the best out of every opportunity, we live in a world full of possibilities,” she adds.
When she is not hard at work in preparing for a competition, she likes to give back to the community.
“I’m working on projects to give back to my community, which will start at the school where it all began for me. Once I receive funding for my projects, it will get going,” she concludes.
