South African tennis star taking on Wimbledon

South African wheelchair tennis player Kgothatso Montjane will take on Wimbledon, going in as a favourite to win the tournament.

Montjane was born in Seshego, a township in Limpopo, with amniotic band syndrome, a chronic condition affecting the development of her hands and feet.

When she was 12, her left leg was amputated below the knee as a result of the condition, forcing her to use a wheelchair to move around.

After this, she was sent to a boarding school for children with disabilities, which she has said was a major turning point for her.

High-level athletes usually start playing sports at a very young age, but Montjane was an exception.

She started playing tennis at 19, encouraged by coaches, and quickly represented South Africa at a foundation camp in the Netherlands.

In 2010, she pursued tennis full-time, becoming a professional player after finishing university.

She struggled to establish herself as a professional player in the years that followed, with a lack of funding and sponsorships often preventing her from competing in major tournaments.

This changed in 2018, when she earned a wildcard entry into Wimbledon and reached the semi-finals.

Since this competition, Montjane has had an impressive career, becoming the first African female wheelchair athlete to compete in four Grand Slams in a single year.

Grand Slam tournaments are considered the highest level of tennis competition and are held in England, France, Australia, and the U.S.

Her accolades in tennis include winning four Grand Slams in the wheelchair doubles event and being ranked world number one in this discipline in 2024.

She has also had impressive performances in singles events, where she has reached several finals and semi-finals of prestigious events.

Representing South Africa, she has competed in five Paralympic Games, from 2008 to 2024.

Back on the world stage

The Wimbledon tournament is one of the largest and oldest sporting events in the world, dating back to 1877.

The tournament is held in London, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, and is regularly attended by a host of celebrities and royalty.

Since its inception, the event has become an icon of the sport, known for its outdoor grass courts and all-white dress code.

The event is watched globally, drawing roughly 4 million viewers for the men’s finals game in 2025, and nearly 15,000 people attended the game in person.

Despite its long history, the tournament only introduced wheelchair tennis as a discipline in 2005, with the men’s doubles event.

In 2009, the wheelchair tournaments were expanded to include a women’s doubles event, and singles events became a fixture of Wimbledon in 2016.

Montjane is going into the tournament as the fourth-highest-ranked player in her discipline and as one of the favourites to win.

She will compete in the doubles wheelchair tournament with her partner, Japanese national Yui Kamiji.

She will also compete in the singles tournament, looking to win her first Grand Slam title in this discipline.

In an interview with Women In Sports Africa, Montjane spoke about her past performances at Wimbledon.

She said her first doubles win at the tournament, which came in 2024, was “one of a kind.”

She said the event carries more weight than other Grand Slam tournaments, creating a strong legacy for herself.

While most of her major achievements have come in doubles tournaments, Montjane said her biggest goal is to win a singles Grand Slam title.

“The biggest goal is still to push and win the singles Grand Slam. I feel like that will complete my story, despite where I started,” she said.

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Photos of Montjane playing tennis

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