Sport
Double Victory at French Open
South Africa celebrated double doubles delight as wheelchair tennis players Donald Ramphadi and Kgothathso Montjane each won French Open titles with their respective mixed doubles partners,
Ramphadi joined doubles partner Andy Lapthorne from Britain as they beat the second-seeded pair of Heath Davidson from Australia and Robert Shaw from Canada in the thrilling French Open final with a 1-6, 6-2, 10-3 victory to secure the quads doubles title.
With the huge win, Ramphadi became only the first South African male – both able-bodied and wheelchair-bound – to win a French Open title since Johan Kriek accomplished the feat in 1981. What made the win even more special was that it came on Ramphadi’s birthday.
“It is truly amazing to hear that I am the first South African in 42 years to win the French Open. Coming from a challenging background, I am proud to serve as an example to young children in underprivileged circumstances, showing them that anything is possible when you envision it,” Limpopo star Ramphadi told News 24 after
his win.
Red-letter day
It was a red-letter day for South African tennis on the red clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris, as Kgothathso Montjane and her doubles partner, Yui Kamiji from Japan, clinched an impressive 6-2, 6-3 victory over Diede de Groot and Maria Moreno to claim the women’s doubles trophy.
The feat saw Montjane become the first South African woman to win a French Open title since Tanya Harford and Ros Fairbank – their win also coming in 1981.
Paralympian Montjane, who had previously reached six doubles finals at Grand Slam tournaments between 2019 and 2022 without being able to get over the finishing line, has finally secured her well-deserved maiden Grand Slam champion title.
It was a fantastic story of determination and perseverance from Montjane, who was born with a congenital defect and, at 12 years old, underwent a single amputation below the knee.
“It’s a moment worth living for. I have been fortunate to play both singles and doubles, so it’s an exciting time for me. I will keep fighting for the singles title that I have been waiting for,” Montjane told News 24 after the final.
In 2018, Montjane became the first African wheelchair tennis player to compete in all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same calendar year. She has gone on to have a stellar career on the courts of the world’s best tennis arenas.
