And the ball is in his court
AT THE AGE of 5, Thembo Makhanya stepped on to a tennis court and since then, has not looked back.
Now the Westville Boys’ High Grade 11 pupil has just returned from a tour to London as captain of the SA Schools Tennis team.
As the only KwaZulu-Natal representative, Thembo led the 12 players in matches against the Academy of Glastonbury and the Sutton Academy, which boasts some of the world’s leading tennis players.
“We beat Millfield in London, but it was a tough tour. We also watched at Wimbledon – the atmosphere was amazing, seeing all the top players perform, especially the guys who have big serves,” he said.
He said watching techniques and power of the play at Wimbledon was a good learning experience.
Headmaster, Trevor Hall said this week that Thembo’s selection as captain, despite only being in Grade 11 was “well-deserved”. He said: “Thembo has obvious talent as a player, but it is his high work ethic, emotional intelligence and maturity that have ensured his success.”
Thembo started playing tennis after watching his mother play at Adam’s Mission, south of Durban, when he was little.
He won his first tournament when he was 9 and made the national side for the first time when he was 10, the youngest player in the side. In 2009, he played in the US in the Under-10 category and in 2011 played in Malaysia in the U-13s.
“Tennis is an interesting sport, it’s competitive but also fun,” he said. Thembo’s idol is Roger Federer and describes him as “one of the best players of all time”.