Montsi hyped up for Open challenge
East London protégé aims for high SA honour in France
East London-born tennis ace Khololwam Montsi is hyped up to play on his favourite
“surface at his debut in the French Open Junior ” championship on Monday.
The young star wants to use this and the stellar year he has had as a springboard for his lofty aspirations.
Kholo, as he is affectionately known, is only the second black South African to play on the clay of Roland Garros, the first one in being Peter-John Nomdo 20 years ago.
You might have thought that this placed a heavy load on his young shoulders, but the 17-year-old is taking it in his stride, saying he is just happy to be at the prestigious event.
This [playing in the French Open] is something I ve dreamed about and the moment is finally here, so I m really excited. I am just realising how fortunate I am to be here,” said Montsi, speaking from his hotel room in Paris on Thursday where he was in routine quarantine.
He added that his one day in quarantine was actually a blessing as it helped him relax from his long flight and to focus on the tournament.
The French Open will be Montsi s first tournament in six months, having last played a competitive match in March, when he lost in the opening round of the Potchefstroom ATP Challenger 50, a senior ATP event.
In a great year so far, the Eastern Cape-born star was included in the senior SA team for the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia, won the African U18 singles and doubles crowns and took part in his first senior professional tournament in Potch. Montsi, who lives in Cape Town, said he was only at the start of what he hoped would be an illustrious career. There are many things that I want to “achieve in my career; I d like to be the best tennis player in the world,” he said.
Winning Grand Slams would be a dream come true and I do believe that dreams come true if you believe in them.
Easy to say but tough to do and I m ready “’ to put in the work every day. I d love to make an impact on other kids lives around the world because at the end of the day Im a human before a tennis player, so I d like to inspire other kids through my tennis.”
There is no better place to make the world take note than on your favourite surface. Clay is definitely my favourite surface to “play on as it brings out all the best aspects of my game,” Montsi said.”[This is one of the reasons] my team and I are confident going into my first French Open. I want to come home with gold.”
He was set to take part in his first French
Open and Wimbledon last year but got injured just before the clay and grass Slams, which are just a few weeks apart.
The world s 13th-ranked junior will play in his third Grand Slam event after his Australian Open outings in 2019 and earlier this year, and goes onto the hallowed clay courts seeded 10th. Montsi will hope to improve on his first and second round losses at his previous Grand Slam outings and playing on his best surface might aid him.
Many may find it strange that one of SA s rising tennis stars enjoys clay as the country does not have many clay courts for competitive tennis.
I [only] get a couple of weeks on the clay “during the year because back at home [in SA] we don t have clay courts so it s tough for us.
But at our academy [Anthony Harris Tennis “Academy in Cape Town] we have a synthetic clay court which isn t real but it s better than nothing. So you ve got to use what you have.
I ll only play on clay during the clay season “’ in Europe, which is a couple of weeks for me as it is tough to travel around here. But it certainly is one of my favourite times of the year.
It goes without saying that one of his idols is the King of Clay himself in French Open champion Rafael Nadal, but others include Australian star Nicholas Kyrgios, Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi, SA Sevens star Seabelo Senatla, his father and his brother Siphosothando.
I can t pick one [role model] but definitely
’ all of them are because just watching them do what they do is inspiring and hearing their stories makes me believe in myself.
I ve taken bits and pieces from each of them and learnt so I can put it into myself, but I have to give most of the credit to my brother [who introduced him to tennis] as he has been my biggest inspiration,” the homeschooled teen said.
If the coronavirus pandemic hampered most in the sporting world, Montsi saw it as a blessing in disguise because he used it as another preseason which he said he needed to get ready physically.
It s definitely a bummer that I couldn t “compete in the other Junior Slams, but I accepted it and set new goals and worked hard,” he said.
I think my biggest challenge [at Roland “
Garros] will be to be honest. If I m not there mentally or physically I ll make things hard for myself. Every match is tough, so I have to be ready.”
Montsi joins another Buffalo City player in doubles ace Raven Klaasen from King William s Town. Other South Africans in the tournament are Lloyd Harris, who lost on Thursday, Kevin Anderson and wheelchair star Kgothatso Montjane.