Wild card selections for the Ilana Kloss International women's tennis event 2023 announced

The main draw wild card selections for the Ilana Kloss International women's tennis event, which will be held next week at TuksTennis, University of Pretoria, have been announced.

The wild card entries for the $25,000 prize-money tournament on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour were awarded to emerging South African tennis stars Naledi Manyube, Suzanie Pretorius, and Claire Jaramba.

In 2022, Manyube, 18, had a fantastic year, winning three ITF junior titles and two domestic titles. Manyube also made her Billie Jean King Cup debut last year as a member of team South Africa in the Euro/Africa Group III in North Macedonia.

Suzanie Pretorius will join Manyube in the main draw, having won the 2022 Growthpoint Junior Masters and reaching three semi-finals and one final on the ITF junior World Tennis Tour junior in 2022.

Claire Jaramba, 18, was awarded the final wild card for the main draw. Jaramba has shown some good form this past season, reaching quarterfinal and semifinal stages in several ITF junior events. Jaramba will compete in her second W25 Pretoria after falling in the first round the previous year.

Wild cards give players a chance to play an event to earn points on the pro tours to improve their rankings, leading to eligibility for more tournaments.

The three juniors will compete in the main draw alongside the country's top female player, Isabella Kruger, who is ranked 346 on the WTA rankings. Kruger, who advanced to the semifinals of the Ilana Kloss International event in 2022, will lead South Africa's charge against top international competition.

The Ilana Kloss International begins on Sunday, March 5, 2023, with qualifying and the main draw beginning on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The $25,000 prize-money event will be followed by the WIPHOLD International, an ITF $60 000 prize money event, one of two of its kind in Africa and the continent's largest women's event.