Top Guns: Regional dates confirmed 26Aug   The dates for the regional finals of the fifth edition of the Growthpoint Top Guns (national club event) have been announced. Free State are the first to hold their regional final - on the 22nd and 23rd October - with the majority of the events to be played from November onwards. Dates for Buffalo City, Northern Cape and Cape Town are yet to be confirmed. Entries are open. To enter, visit: https://forms.gle/n1LX5WyiukqpPTUD7    DISTRICT DATES ENTRY DEADLINE ORGANIZER CONTACT...

Record turnout for 2022 Rising Stars 30Aug   With entries having closed for the BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis series, the 2022 campaign is set to involve a record number of teams from over 1 000 schools around the country. The nationwide tennis development programme, which is being held for the third year, has attracted players and teams from 1 036 schools – a 29% increase in entries from last season. In the inaugural series, 361 schools had participated, with 14% of them coming from historically disadvantaged areas, and last year 797 schools took part,...

Southern Sun sponsorship renewal 31Aug   Building on an existing long-term deal, Tennis South Africa has announced a two-year extension of its successful partnership with Southern Africa's leading hospitality group, Southern Sun. Having become the official hotel partner of TSA for national tennis teams and events in 2019, Southern Sun will continue to provide accommodation and conferencing facilities to the local tennis community, as well as visiting players, coaches, and officials. The extension of the partnership, which will be implemented with immediate...

Klaasen to lead SA team against Bulgaria 4Sep   Relying on the country's most experienced doubles player and a trio of exciting young prospects, the SA team will be eager to bounce back later this month when a four-man national squad faces Bulgaria in the Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group II tie at the National Tennis Centre in Sofia, Bulgaria on 16 and 17 September. After falling to Israel in a promotion playoff in Ashdod earlier this year, South Africa will be without some key stars as they look to hit back against Bulgaria, with the country's top-ranked singles...

Team SA handed a 3-0 defeat by Bulgaria   Despite putting up a brave fight in a disrupted doubles clash, South Africa were handed a 3-0 defeat by Bulgaria on Sunday in the Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group II tie at the National Tennis Centre in Sofia. Entering the extended third day of the tie 2-0 down, after the second day's play was suspended due to rain during the doubles match, Raven Klaasen and Lleyton Cronje gave it everything when they returned to the court on Sunday morning, but they were ultimately edged out in another straight-sets defeat. Alexander Donski...

SA to face Luxembourg in Davis Cup 21Sep   South Africa’s Davis Cup team will face Luxembourg in away tie in the World Group II Play-offs in 2023, after the two nations were pitted in a draw conducted at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) headquarters in London, United Kingdom, on Tuesday. The tie will be played at a yet-to-be-determined venue in Luxembourg. The scheduled dates are either Friday, 3 – Saturday, 4 February or Saturday, 4 – Sunday, 5 February 2023. Team South Africa were relegated to the World Group II Play-offs last weekend, following their...

TSA bids farewell to CEO Andre Homan With the sport on the rise at all levels of the domestic game, Tennis South Africa (TSA) announces with sadness that TSA chief executive officer Andre Homan has ended his journey with the federation.   Homan, who was appointed in February, has resigned from his post to take up an attractive leadership position in commercial sports management. “It is with mixed emotions that I announce my resignation from Tennis South Africa to pursue another opportunity. It has been a privilege to be involved with tennis at this level and I...

Raven Klaasen wins Korea Open title 3Oct   South African doubles ace Raven Klaasen, and his new partner Nathaniel Lammons' fledgling partnership claimed its first ATP Tour title on Sunday at the Korea Open, an ATP 250 event in Seoul. The top-seeded pairing claimed a 6-1, 7-5 championship match victory against Nicolas Barrientos and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela to lift the trophy. Klaasen and Lammons' only previous tour-level appearance together was on the clay in Lyon in May, where they reached the quarterfinals. Yet the pair settled quickly into their campaign in...

Kris, Alec win titles in Maputo   South African rising tennis stars Kris van Wyk and Alec Beckley have claimed singles and doubles titles, respectively, at the M15 Maputo, an ITF $15,000 World Tennis Tour event in Maputo on Sunday. Van Wyk took out Mehluli Sibanda 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 to claim his maiden professional title, meanwhile, Beckley and Sibanda claimed the doubles title after a 6-1, 7-5 victory over third seeds Guy Iradukunda of Burundi and Egor Tsarapkin from Russia.

Growthpoint Top Guns: Enter now!   A host of regional events for the Growthpoint Top Guns national club tennis tournament are set to take place in October and November 2022. There is still time to enter your club and clubs can also enter multiple teams! The Growthpoint Properties’ sponsored tournament is a doubles team competition for men and women with some incredible prizes up for grabs. The event is played in 14 tennis regions across South Africa, with each region hosting a local event to crown both A Division and B Division regional champions. Each of the A...

Rising Star Tennis: Wildcards announced     Having triggered a rapid rise up the national tennis ladder for Letlotlo Primary School, teacher and coach Thembi Mathobela hopes to carry her knowledge and experience to new courts as she continues to help expand the sport through the BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis series. After starting a tennis programme at Letlotlo school in Seshego last year and launching the institution's participation in BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis, two of her teams have been awarded wild cards into the National Final of the 2022...

TSA hosts three-day Wiphold Camp   Tennis SA hosted a three-day Wiphold training camp which brought together fourteen of the country’s most talented young female tennis players at TuksTennis,  University of Pretoria. "We believe women's tennis can grow and produce more professional players and with support from Wiphold, we will certainly achieve this goal," - Head of Women's Tennis, Joannette Kruger. The camp was made possible by Wiphold - sponsor and supporter of the local women's tennis. The investment company backs a travelling squad of female players from...

OS/ITF Regional Coaching Advanced Players Course 22Oct   Tennis South Africa (TSA) hosted a 12-day Olympic Solidarity (OS) / International Tennis Federation (ITF) Regional Coaching Advanced players course at TuksTennis, University of Pretoria earlier this month. Twenty-five coaches from the Southern Africa region attended the course, with nine being women and fifteen men. Twelve coaches were from South Africa and thirteen coaches from various African countries including Mozambique, Botswana, Malawi, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Kenya, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe....

Mari-Louise bags second junior ITF title 22Oct   South African 16-year-old Mari-Louise van Zyl of Riaan Venter Tennis Academy defeated Marelie Raath to claim the ITF J3 title at the Wanderers Junior ITF tournament in Illovo on Friday.   Van Zyl, seeded no.2, defeated the British fifth-seed Raath 6-3, 6-4 to lift the trophy. She did not drop a set all week! Congrats, Mari-Louise!   In the boys event, Connor Thomas Doig and Guy Vorwerk claimed the runner-up doubles finish. Doig and Vorwerk did not go down without a...

Growthpoint Top Guns: Free State results 25Oct   Free State were the first to host their regional final for the 2022 Growthpoint Top Guns (nationwide club tournament) this past weekend at Mundene Tennis Club in Mangaung. Kovsies Club A were crowned regional champions in the A Division for the fourth consecutive year, with Oud Studente A finishing as runners-up. Kovsies Club have qualified for the National Finals - which will be hosted in Sun City in 2023. In the B Division, Oud Studente A claimed the top position with Mundene A taking the second place. Free State...

Rising Star Tennis champions crowned   Tennis Bringing a close to the second edition of the nationwide campaign, the winners were crowned over the weekend in the BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis series.The programme, which expanded this year to include primary schools, high schools, and a wheelchair tennis category, began with more then 3 000 young players showcasing their talent in 30 district tournaments around the country.A total of 55 teams ultimately progressed to the BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis National Finals, competing for top honours at Arthur...

Growthpoint Top Guns results: Joburg     Rivonia Tennis Club were crowned winners at the Johannesburg leg of the 2022 Growthpoint Top Guns Club Champions, after defeating Marks Park Tennis Club in the final. The Rivonia Club have booked their place in the national final which will be held in Sun City in early 2023 after ending Marks Park’s four-year winning streak. Results Section A Winners: Rivonia Tennis Club Runners-up: Marks Park Tennis Club A Section B Winners: Marks Park Tennis Club D Runners-up: Marks Park Tennis Club C

Alwande wins title in Turkey Top African wheelchair tennis star Alwande Sikhosana clinched an ITF Futures singles title at the Aspendos Open in Turkey on Wednesday. Sikhosana defeated Costa Rica’s Jose Pablo Gil 6-4, 6-1 to claim his fourth title of the 2022 season. In the women’s event, it was a great effort, but not to be for Mariska Venter. The South African star fell short of claiming the women’s title, going down to top seed and world No.17 Viktoriia Lvova 6-0, 6-4. Venter, Sikhosana and Ronewa Mudzanani will now move on to the TBESF Open, also an ITF Futures event...

Sikhosana falls short in Turkey final South African wheelchair tennis star Alwande Sikhosana   South African wheelchair tennis star Alwande Sikhosana fell at the final hurdle on Monday after delivering a couple of gutsy performances to reach the title decider at the TBESF Open, an ITF Futures series event in Turkey. Sikhosana, ranked 28th in the world, was defeated in three sets by fifth seed D S R Dharmasena of Sri Lanka, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Bella, Kholo to participate in Africa Cares 24Nov   South African tennis sensations Isabella Kruger (17) and Khololwam Montsi (20) will compete in the Africa Cares Women's Tennis Challenge on December 3rd and 4th, 2022, at Johannesburg's DP World Wanderers Stadium. During the two-day tennis tournament, both international and local tennis sensations will showcase their skills on South African soil for a good cause. Kruger and Montsi will be joined by Dustin Brown and Ons Jabeur, to name a few. Isabella Kruger expressed gratitude for her participation in the...