The most celebrated athlete on the Momentum gsport Awards, Kgothatso Montjane, thanks media for their increasing support for women’s sport as she reflects on her journey to date.
Montjane is South Africa’s leading wheelchair tennis star, who recently made history when she won the doubles crown alongside her partner Yui Kamiji at the French Open.
To put the cherry on top of the cake, Montjane and Kamiji went on to win another doubles title at the French Riviera Open a week after their Roland Garros feat.
On her return to South Africa, Montjane was greeted by a buzzing crowd of supporters, media and sponsors at OR Tambo International Airport, a moment she describes as, “That was the most special part, people supporting me going the extra mile is really special.”
The 37-year-old recently took time out of her busy schedule to chat to gsport Content Lead Celine Abrahams about winning in France and the power of recognition.
KG, what did it feel like to see the media and your fans at OR Tambo International Airport welcoming you home?
It was the most beautiful thing, coming out of the terminal and seeing all of my supporters there. That was the most special part, people supporting me, going the extra mile is really special. Seeing my friends, sponsors was beautiful. I don’t like surprises but it was definitely a nice surprise.
How do you think your recent achievement in France is going to impact the future of wheelchair tennis going forward?
I can only hope this is the beginning for wheelchair tennis to be followed more, just not wheelchair tennis but tennis in general. This is about getting tennis to where it used to be in this country. I just hope this is an opportunity for us to get back where we used to be. I really hope the media can follow more stories on what is going on in this sport, mostly the communities where we are coming from.
This sport is not popular but if it is us doing it, I think now is about time that the media can do more to spread this to reach those who think they cannot play it. For me, the media present in my career has always been great, there have been people who followed me when I just started, it was nice just being out there!
There is so much talent not just in tennis but in the country, so if the media can build more relationships and follow athletes who are not known to the people, we can see more talents grow by putting them out there.
Please take us through that Roland Garros Grand Slam victory, what was that moment like?
Geez (laughing). I think maybe later at night I was like, “This just happened, we are the French Open Women’s Doubles Champions.” I think last year we just got so hurt not being in the doubles final. But at that particular moment of winning it, me and Yui were still discussing the technicalities after winning because of how much we wanted it this year. I couldn’t have asked anyone else better than Yui to win a Grand Slam title with.
I am just happy for my first Grand Slam, this is just motivation to me to keep pushing and to keep believing that it can happen. This is just the beginning, I am going to use this as motivation to keep working hard.
You have been in situations in your career where you found yourself in semifinals and finals but fell short. What would you say was the difference this time around?
Look, I can’t say there was much of a difference. I missed it before because it wasn’t built right. You go through a Grand Slam final without the expectations, you just go out and try your best. Try to get your technicalities right, with this Grand Slam it was about getting your mind right. Yui has been pushing me, I am so lucky to have someone like her who constantly pushes me and believes in me.
I just wanted to go out there and do the best I can. I applied what I needed to apply and I think that’s how we got it right.
Another big part of your career has been the impact of Optimize Agency in your along with CEO Emy Casaletti-Bwayla. Looking at having their support and backing as well as your sponsors. How do you think that changed your game?
It made a huge turn around! Optimize Agency came into my life in 2018 or let me rather say in my career and by 2019-2022 I started reaching finals. They came in and I started doing well. They went out there to find whatever resources I needed to improve my game.
The first thing they asked me, since they started backing me, was “KG what do you want?” I told them that I just want to play tennis. Since then they went out of their way to make sure that I focus on tennis and nothing else. I think it speaks for itself, because between 2019 and 2022 I have been having incredible results.
That’s the impact Optimize Agency had brought in, they came in and they branded me. They were like “KG no more freebies” your time must be respected. Optimize saw me as a champion, they are my team, they are the best, they really changed my life. They’ve really put my career in a place I wouldn’t have imagined, without them I think I would be nothing.
It just shows when athletes are supported they can go the extra mile.
When you look at wheelchair tennis now in South Africa. How do you think we can change the current state of the game going forward?
For me, it’s just my opinion, more can be done, I know how much talent there is out there, but they don’t have the support. If their hopes can be supported, the future would look so much better. There is so much talent at home just waiting for that opportunity.
More can be done, because we know the talent is out there we have seen before. We know where these people are, we know where these talents are. Hope can be brought because the foundation is there. We just need the resources to help with it.
What would you say to corporate South Africa to help them see the value of wheelchair tennis and help it go forward?
Invest in them while they are still young. Build your superstar, its like a flower or plant, if you water it then it grows and becomes this beautiful thing.
It is the same with wheelchair tennis, there are a lot of young people in schools playing sport, all they need is someone who believes in them. I could only urge sponsors to believe in that talent, so that someday you as a corporate can be proud that you have given someone the opportunity.
Let’s not wait for these athletes to start shining and jump on. I would love for them to invest in the young ones, to build them and take them under their wings.
What message can you share with youngsters about challenges that may come their way?
Just know that everything happens for a reason. When it happens, remember it happened for that reason. The most important thing is not to give up, if you do believe in whatever you believe in just remember you can always achieve it. If you believe in it you will manifest it and it will come true. Don’t give up no matter how hard it is.
What are your thoughts and feelings around women’s sport and the spotlight shone on women athletes in 2023 The Year of Women’s Sport?
I can only say thank you to the media for what you are doing. Keep covering these women, we want to bridge that gap where we see a lot of men’s sport on TV or hear more about it. So what the media is doing is really great to bridge that gap.
Big ups to all the media, they need to keep on bringing in all these stories, no matter how small it is, it’s very important for women in sport. It’s a huge year for women, for South Africans to go out there and support women, that little bit of support can become something big.
We are currently in the 2023 Momentum gsport Awards campaign season, what did it mean to you to win on this stage and what is your message to encourage others to nominate?
This is the biggest awards for women in sport in the country. I know people have their favourites women athlete out there (laughing) so they must just do the right thing. I see when women soccer is going out there the fan base is big and I think this year we are going to see quite a lot of new faces.
People must go out there and nominate those young talents, those new faces. I feel like gsport is one platform that brings those people we don’t know to light, gsport is a platform that really helps women in sport. People must just nominate and most importantly bring those pure talents to light.
What does the Power of Recognition mean to you?
It means a lot, because when you are being recognised it says to you what you do it’s quite serious. It makes you take what you do seriously because you don’t know who’s watching. It’s sort of like a pat on the back and saying someone is watching you.
It’s sort of a wake-up call to push hard, to keep working hard, because someone is watching what I am doing! To all the talented women out there you need to keep pushing yourself, you are becoming something.
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