KG Montjane paves way for kids to chase their Grand Slam dreams

Wheelchair tennis Grand Slam champion Kgothatso “KG” Montjane can’t help but wonder where she would have been and what she would have achieved in the sport had she started earlier.

It was her steely determination to ensure that the same fate doesn’t befall talented youngsters from similar backgrounds that drove the construction of a multipurpose tennis court at Lethaba Special School in Tzaneen, Limpopo, through her foundation.

“It has been an idea that has been lying in the pipeline, not being sure how I would be able to execute it. But having such a great team behind me speaking to some of the sponsors from tennis, we managed to make it a dream come true,” KG told Independent Media Sport exclusively on the sidelines of the project.

“This project just resonates with my story, my career, so it’s been a long time for me, waiting for this to come true.”

South Africa's top-ranked wheelchair tennis player can often be seen zipping around the court, executing lobs, cross-court forehand winners and drives down the line at the US Open, French Open, Aussie Open, and Wimbledon, yet her story has humble beginnings.

“When I started playing tennis, I started at a school where there was no tennis court. We went out to try to play tennis somewhere and then we came back. We didn’t have a tennis court at school so we had to improvise,” KG said.

“So for me, being able to do this is just a matter of saying I don’t want the next generation – those who come from a similar background as me – to go through similar challenges that I went through.”

She chose Lethaba Special School because it didn’t have a tennis court, unlike Tshilidzini Special School and Helena Franz Special School, her alma mater. 

“I just wanted to make sure that the next generation doesn’t suffer, mostly those who come from the rural areas. Because I’ve lived that, I’ve experienced that and when you are talented and you realise that you were so late into that particular sport, you just feel like you were kind of left behind. I’m just trying to fill that gap.”

The 'national treasure' from Seshego, in Polokwane, does admit that her late start has probably given her the longevity to  continue to compete at the highest level at the age of 39. 

Her remarkable career has led her to four wheelchair tennis Grand Slam doubles titles – at the US Open, French Open (twice) and Wimbledon – alongside Japan’s Yui Kamiji. Yet she has also lost none of her hunger for success.

“I feel like I’m starting to understand the game better and I’m improving. Even though I picked up the racket at the age of 19, here I am still able to win a Grand Slam or two, or reach a semi-final in Grand Slams,” she said.  

“All those results kind of give me hope. And it does make me wonder if I started early where could I have been in this sport. What is it that I would have achieved as a junior, because I didn’t get to play as a junior? So I wonder but I’ve sort of accepted the journey for what it is. I’m trying to make the best out of it.”

There is another burning desire that drives the three-time Paralympian, who was born with a congenital defect that led to the amputation of her left leg at the age of 12. She has won singles titles at other tournaments and regularly goes deep in the majors, but the singles Slam continues to elude her.

“The biggest goal is just to try win the single Slam. That’s just where the focus is, it’s not that I’m going to neglect doubles. It will still be nice if I win another Slam in doubles, but I’m just trying to push myself even harder just to try see if I can win the singles Slam too.”

KG lost in the semi-final of the women’s wheelchair tennis singles at Wimbledon in July, after winning the latest of her doubles Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros in Paris. She is now hard at work gearing up for the US Open.

“Preparations for the US open are going well. Just tweaking what needs to be tweaked, considering the stats that I got from Wimbledon,” she said. “Also, it’s a different surface, so preps are going well. Looking forward to compete again in September.”

The wheelchair tennis ace continues to blaze a trail on the court for others from a similar background to follow, while her efforts off it will help give them the tools to get there.