As Wimbledon celebrated 50 years of wheelchair tennis this July, one of South Africa ' s greatest pioneers for athletes with disabilities was once again competing on the famed courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
This time, the 40-year-old Kgothatso Montjane had to bow out at the semi-final stage alongside her British doubles partner Lucy Shuker. But the fact that she has changed the landscape of African wheelchair tennis is undeniable.
Her list of awards and achievements makes for impressive reading:
Four Grand Slam doubles titles( 2 Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open). Grand Slam singles finalist( Wimbledon 2021). A highest career singles ranking of number 4 in 2021. A highest career doubles ranking of number 1 in 2024. SA Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability in 2005, 2011 and 2015.
For many athletes, that alone would be enough. But KG – as she is known – says she still has some unfinished business and is not even thinking of retirement.
“ I ' m a late bloomer in the game. I still want to win a singles Grand Slam title. There is still plenty of tennis left in me,” she said.
It is a goal that perfectly sums up the woman behind the remarkable career. Despite her countless milestones in South African sport, she continues to look forward rather than back.
This determination was shaped long before tennis entered her life.
Born in Seshego, outside Polokwane, Montjane was diagnosed with amniotic band syndrome, a congenital disorder that affected the development of her fingers and legs. When she was 12, complications resulted in her left leg being amputated below the knee.
Yet disability was never allowed to define her childhood.
“ My family never made me feel different or treated me differently. It made me feel like I was as normal as everyone.”
Unlike most professional tennis players, Montjane did not grow up dreaming of success on courts across the world. She only picked up a racquet at the age of 19 after her high school encouraged her to give wheelchair tennis a try.
“ I was just a matriculant who played other sports. The school sent me to try tennis and that ' s how it all happened. I fell in love with it because it ' s a very challenging sport and it keeps me on my toes.”
Her rise through the international ranks was quick. In 2013 she qualified for the Australian Open, becoming a Grand Slam competitor for the first time. It was the first time she realised she was“ into something really serious”.
Five years later came another breakthrough. Awarded a Wimbledon wildcard in 2018, she reached the semi-finals and announced herself on one of tennis ' biggest stages. It was a landmark season, as she became the first wheelchair tennis player from Africa to qualify for all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single calendar year.
Of them all, Wimbledon remains closest to her heart.
“ It ' s quite a special one because it gave me a second chance in tennis.”
Today she is still ranked among the world ' s best, sitting inside the ITF ' s top 10 in both singles and doubles.
Behind the success, however, have been struggles few people see.
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“ The challenge remains funding and sponsorship. It’ s never-ending, but when you are talented and hardworking, you keep fighting for your place in the world."
No challenge, though, compared to the heartbreak Montjane experienced in 2024.
Preparing for what would have been her fifth Paralympic Games in Paris, Montjane hoped it would finally be the one where she stepped onto the podium after four previous quarter-final finishes. Instead, just before her competition began, her mother, Margaret, passed away after complications from kidney disease.
Initially determined to compete, Montjane ultimately withdrew before beginning her singles campaign, choosing to prioritise her mental wellbeing.
Nearly two years later, she says she continues to deal with it every day.
“ The wound is still new, it still hurts and it is still difficult. I ' m glad I have tennis to keep me occupied and sane. I don ' t know if the pain gets better, but I feel like I ' m on autopilot at times while trying to grieve on the road.”
For Montjane, tennis has taught her as much about life as it has about sport.
“ It ' s a game of mistakes. It teaches me to be accountable and I realise that I can always bounce back as long as I am willing to try again.”
That mindset has evolved with experience. These days her preparation includes sports psychology and detailed video analysis, constantly searching for small improvements that might make the difference at the highest level.
She also relishes the different demands of singles and doubles.
“ In singles you have no one to hold responsible for the mistakes that you make, so I tend to go all out and take risks. In doubles you just try to play high-percentage tennis.”
Away from the court, life is refreshingly ordinary. Montjane describes herself as a homebody who enjoys reading, spending time with her family and, perhaps surprisingly for an elite athlete, working on her braai skills.
Whenever she represents South Africa on the world stage, however, that quiet personality gives way to immense national pride.
“ I ' m always proud to be out there doing the best I can.”
Montjane says it would be great to step down knowing the next generation is there to take up the sport.
“ I want to tell them their dreams are valid. They must keep believing in themselves because anything is possible. Your background does not define you. The grit in you makes you who you want to become.” www. modernathlete. co. za 23