Rising tennis star, Lilitha Ndungane, is looking forward to representing South Africa at the U16 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Future Stars tournament in China later this year.
The 15-year-old is well on her way to achieving her international career dreams after claiming the U16’s singles title at the 2021 Junior Growthpoint Nationals, defeating 2020 Momentum gsport School Sports Star award winner, Kaitlyn Ramduth.
As the first tennis player to represent the country at the WTA event in her age category, Ndungane is aiming to take full advantage of the opportunities that will come her way as she rubs shoulders with stars from around the world.
The young star who is inspired by four-time major winner, Naomi Osaka, is hoping to one day get the chance to face her hero on court.
Speaking to Babsie Kutwana, Ndungane chats about her tennis journey to date and reveals her mom as her biggest supporter.
Hi Lilitha, thank you for taking the time to chat to us. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Lilitha Ndungane. I am 15 years old and I started playing tennis at age 7. I am introverted but once I get to know you then I become the loudest person on this planet.
What sparked your tennis interest and at what age did you know that this is something you should take seriously?
My mom was actually the person who introduced me to tennis and ever since I have been to the tennis court, I have loved every second of it. The courts are my second home.
I decided to start tennis seriously at the age of 13 that is when I got to represent South Africa in America and we had the opportunity to go to the US Open – one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world and let me tell you, I was in awe. I got to watch different tennis players from all over the world but my favourite who I got to watch at the time was Gaël Monfils as he had so much energy and enthusiasm on court.
He had fans supporting him and I was really proud to be one of them. That is when I knew that this is what I want to do with my life, have people supporting every step of the way and showcase my talents to everyone across the world.
How does it feel to know that you will be representing South Africa at the WTA Future Stars tournament later this year?
“I am really excited, and I want to make my friends, family, coaches and country proud.” – Rising tennis star, Lilitha Ndungane speaks on earning her place to represent South Africa at the WTA Future Stars tournament in China.
I feel honored to be the first U16 Nationals winner to represent my country in China. I’ve never been the first to do anything, so this really is such an honour. I am really excited, and I want to make my friends, family, coaches and country proud.
What are you looking forward to most at the WTA Future Stars tournament?
I am looking forward to meeting different players from different parts of the world and getting to know them and see their type of play. I heard we would get to meet some of the WTA players and ambassadors which is really exciting as they would be giving us advice and mentoring us to be the best version of ourselves on and off the court.
How would you describe your style of play and do you think you would be able to adapt it to the different court surfaces: i.e Hard Court, Clay Court and Grass Court?
I am an aggressive baseliner but my coaches and I are working for me to become an all-court player so I can elevate my game more. I would prefer to play on hard courts and grass courts because they are similar in comparison whereas in clay it’s a difficult surface to play on and it’s really slippery.
Who do you look up to in the tennis world and how have they influenced your style of play?
I love Naomi Osaka because she is quite introverted like me but on court she truly is far less. She has taught me, firstly, to fight and that giving up is not an option, two, it’s okay to lose as long as you don’t come off the courts with regret and, three, in her 2021 Australian Open interview she stated that she would love to play a girl who is a fan of her and this makes me want to work even harder just so I can meet my idol and get to play her.
How do you manage to balance school and tennis?
It’s not easy trying to balance school and tennis especially when I have to be away for a long period of time, but my teachers make it easier for me by having extra lessons with me before, during and after school if there’s a chapter I missed or struggling with.
Who do you lean on for support when it all seems to become too much?
My mom because she is my biggest supporter as she supports me every step of the way. She teaches me to be confident and to believe in myself and will sometimes tell me things I don’t want to hear but I know she only says that just to prepare me for the real world. I wouldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t for her. My mom is my everything.
What are your future hopes for your tennis career?
I am hoping to get a scholarship in America for tennis obviously and play different tournaments and International Tennis Federation (ITF’s) there then going pro after college and become top 20 in the world.
Do you have other interest outside of tennis? What are they?
I love binge watching series on Netflix, going out with my friends and I am currently learning how to crotchet.
Photo 1 Caption: Rising tennis star,Lilitha Ndungane, pictured with her U16’s singles title at the 2021 Junior Growthpoint Nationals, after defeating 2020 Momentum gsport School Sports Star award winner, Kaitlyn Ramduth. Photo: Lilitha Ndungane
(0 rating, 0 votes, rated)
Loading...
