In a Soweto tennis centre paid for by Arthur Ashe, a smiling Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took time out this week to help coach children who dream of being South Africa’s new generation of champions.
”I have African blood, so… I am happy to help sport in Africa and especially to improve the tennis,” the Frenchman, top seed at the South African Open this week, told reporters at the centre.
”It was great what Arthur Ashe did and these sort of clinics are really important. This is the school of life and I am very happy to be able to help improve sport in Africa.”
The charismatic world number 14, whose father Didier was born in the Democratic of Congo, looked to be thoroughly enjoying his time with the hordes of children at the clinic.
The youngsters broke into song to thank Tsonga, and doubles top seeds Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie, both South Africans, who also helped out.
The Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre was built in 1976 with funds donated by the former world number one, the first black man to win the US Open and Wimbledon.
It was refurbished in 2007 and construction is under way to increase the number of courts from 10 to 16 and build a new clubhouse and grandstand.
Apartheid critic
American Ashe was an outspoken critic of the country’s former apartheid system, calling for South Africa’s expulsion from the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the Davis Cup in 1970.
In 1985, he was arrested while taking part in an anti-apartheid protest outside the South African embassy in Washington.
The three-time major champion died in 1993, a year before South Africa’s first free elections.
The South African Open has returned to the calendar for the first time since 1995 and South African Tennis Association (Sata) chief executive Ian Smith hopes the event will play a key role in increasing the numbers of black players taking up the sport.
”By hosting an international tournament and having the likes of Jo-Wilfried and other world-class players here, we will have more and more presence in the black market,” he told Reuters.
”It has been difficult to get into that market but by bringing a guy like Jo-Wilfried here they can see him, relate to him and aspire to that level. He has an African connection and he wanted to come here, he has a real desire to see previously disadvantaged people playing tennis.”
Sata plan to hold tournaments at the Arthur Ashe Centre and hope to improve the fortunes of the sport. The country has no players in the men’s world top 100.
Good talent
Officials were delighted at the enthusiasm that the ever-smiling Tsonga generated.
”He’s very charismatic, just one of the most wonderful persons,” Smith enthused.
Tsonga himself, who reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open last week, spoke about the importance of nurturing the dreams of the youngsters.
”There is some very good talent here and it is important to have some dream,” he said.
”When I was younger, I had a dream of being a tennis player and I have managed to keep the dream going. It’s the same for these small kids, the important thing is for them to realise their dreams.
”They might not realise really who I am but some of them might go home tonight and decide they want to be a professional tennis player. They will have to work hard, respect the rules and everybody else in tennis.
”It will be difficult to get there but you have to dream, you have to believe in yourself.” – Reuters