South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane and Japan’s Yui Kamiji won the women’s wheelchair doubles final at Wimbledon on Sunday.
IOL
Montjane and Kamiji beat Dutch women Diede de Groot and Jiske Griffioen in straight sets 6-4 6-4 to win the title.
It was one way traffic for Montjane and her partner as they served four aces to the zero of their opponents. The duo also won 69% of their first serve, while converting three of their eight break points.
Montjane and Kamiji began the clash slowly, before moving ahead 3-2 in the first set. That would be all the advantage they needed as they would tighten the screws to quickly close out the set 6-4.
In the second set, Montjane and Kamiji were down 2-1 in the early exchanges, but were quickly able to shift the momentum to forge a 4-2 lead.
It was a massive victory for the duo who fell at the final hurdle in 2023.
The 38-year-old Montjane is now a three-time Grand Slam doubles champion, to go with her run to the final of the Wimbledon singles women’s final in 2021.
Montjane’s previous Grand Slam victory came at the US Open last year, also partnering Kamiji. On that occasion, Montjane and Kamiji won the final without playing any tennis. Their opponent Griffieon was forced to withdraw due to injury, leaving her partner De Groot stranded and forced the Dutch pair to concede the title.
Montjane, a name synonymous with resilience and excellence in wheelchair tennis, has once again made South Africa proud. Born in Seshego near Polokwane, Limpopo, Montjane’s journey has been marked by extraordinary challenges and remarkable achievements. She was born with a congenital disorder affecting both her hands and one foot and had her other foot amputated by the age of 12. Despite these challenges, Montjane has risen to become one of the top wheelchair tennis players globally.
With 29 singles titles to her name and numerous doubles victories, Montjane’s career highlights her incredible talent and tenacity. Her achievements include reaching the top 10 of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rankings, peaking at number 5 in 2005, and being named South Africa’s disabled sportswoman of the year three times. Montjane has also been a stalwart at the Paralympic Games, representing South Africa in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
