This past weekend, South African paralympians Kgothatso Montjane and Donald Ramphadi won notable titles in their respective events at the French Open, also known as Roland-Garros.
Montjane had previously competed in six Grand Slam doubles finals between 2019 and 2022, and perseverance and skill finally paid off as she clinched a well-deserved Grand Slam championship alongside her partner, Yui Kamiji, from Japan.
Montjane is the first South African woman to win the French Open since Tanya Harford and Ros Fairbank in 1981.
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Montjane was born with a congenital birth defect and underwent a single amputation below the knee at the age of 12.
Montjane competed in her first Paralympics in Beijing (2008) and went on to compete in London and Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, she became the first African wheelchair tennis player to compete in all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same calendar year.
At this year’s Roland-Garros, Montjane and Kamiji triumphed with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Diede de Groot and Maria Moreno, claiming the women’s doubles trophy.
Reflecting on her achievement, Montjane said, ‘It is such a great feeling and moment for me. I am really happy that I managed to win my first Grand Slam, even though it’s doubles,’ as reported by News24.
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On the same day, Donald Ramphadi, another South African competitor, teamed up with Andy Lapthorne to conquer the quad wheelchair doubles title. After a hard-fought match, the duo emerged victorious, defeating Heath Davidson and Robert Shaw with a score of 1-6, 6-2, 10-3.
Watch:
South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane and Yui Kamiji are the #RolandGarros Women’s Wheelchair Doubles champions ???? pic.twitter.com/3eLshFRhoR
— SuperSport ? (@SuperSportTV) June 10, 2023
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Picture:@kgmontjane1 / Instagram