Deep in the twilight of her career at the age of 39, South African wheelchair tennis supremo, and now the four-time doubles Grand Slam champion, Kgothatso ‘KG’ Montjane will go down as one of the greatest differently abled tennis players to ever grace the court in the world.
Apart from all the accolades she has amassed throughout her highly decorated tennis career, Montjane’s tale and where she comes from, humble beginnings, make her success story even more amazing.
Born in Seshego on the periphery of Polokwane, Limpopo, on June 3, 1986, Montjane had a congenital disorder that affected both her hands and a foot.
Fast-forward, at the age of 12, she was faced with one of the most difficult situations no parent would want their child to experience, as she had one of her legs amputated.
Despite the hardships and battles, KG did not despair, as the Seshego-born ace persevered and started her professional career as a tennis player at 19, and the rest is history.
Montjane is now a global star and a beacon of hope to many differently abled kids and athletes.
She has competed at all the major international tennis competitions, such as the French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open, with the latter being the only doubles Grand Slam title she has never won.
KG has also been to the Masters several times and the Paralympic Games. She did, however, miss out on the previous Paralympics in Paris when she decided to withdraw due to the tragic passing of her mother just a week after her historic victory at Wimbledon.
The 39-year-old also happens to be a huge supporter and advocate for mental health, as she has been vocal on investing in the mental health of athletes.
“Mental health is very important to us as athletes and public figures. Because people think that when you’re an athlete, it means you’re immune or don’t go through mental health issues. We are human too,” she said.
“It’s crucial for us to invest in sports psychology because it also helps one to navigate their personal life. On top of the resources we get, we need to have more access to sports psychology.”
With that said, having competed in and won almost every major tennis competition, Sunday World takes you through Montjane’s road to clinching her four prestigious Grand Slams.
US Open:
The year 2018 is probably one of Montjane’s most memorable years of her career, after she managed to achieve a feat that no other wheelchair tennis player on the continent had ever attained, by becoming the first African wheelchair tennis player to qualify for all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year when she qualified for the US Open.
Even though she did not win it in 2023, she went on to win the French and US Open in a space of three months.
Wimbledon:
Last year, Montjane once again etched her name in the history books of South African tennis, this time by becoming the first black woman in Mzansi to win a Wimbledon Championship.
It was again with her Japanese teammate, Yui Kamiji, when they clinched the wheelchair women’s doubles.
French Open:
Montjane could not have asked for a better way to celebrate her 39th birthday than she did last week, when she clinched the doubles Roland Garros with her partner in crime Kamiji last weekend.
It was her second French Open doubles title after winning it in 2023 with her Japanese teammate. She became the first South African woman to win a French Open since 1981.
