Kgothatso Montjane Tokyo Paralympics

South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane and her British doubles partner Lucy Shuker have been beaten in the women’s wheelchair doubles Wimbledon final. Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Kgothatso Montjane makes history at Wimbledon with semi-final triumph

South African wheelchair tennis star Kgothatso Montjane outlasted Japan’s Momoko Ohtani 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 to reach her first Wimbledon final.

Kgothatso Montjane Tokyo Paralympics

South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane and her British doubles partner Lucy Shuker have been beaten in the women’s wheelchair doubles Wimbledon final. Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

South African wheelchair tennis star Kgothatso Montjane outlasted Japan’s Momoko Ohtani 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 to reach her first Wimbledon final, at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, on Friday.

The South African world Number five created more opportunities in a match marked by booming serves and would edge past the Japanese World Number six in a back and forth affair.

Overcoming adversity to triumph on the global stage

A rare congenital birth complication saw Montjane undergo an amputation of her right leg just above the knee when she was just 12-years-old. 

“I am proud to be blazing the trail for the next generation of female athletes.” There’s no limit to what you’re capable of,” said Montjane back in 2018.

Already a trailblazer who became the first African woman to play in Wimbledon’s wheelchair tennis section in 2018 after she was awarded a wild card and she went on to sensationally reach the semi-finals. She has represented South Africa at the last three Paralympics since making her debut at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Montjane is also the first African wheelchair tennis player to compete in the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same calendar year achieving the feat in 2018.

Wimbledon history

Montjane reached her first Grand Slam Final with the win and will now face Dutch world number one Diede de Groot in the final over the weekend.

This time she has gone one better, but Montjane isn’t done yet, she credits her self-belief with getting her this far, and is hopeful that she can make South Africa proud and bring home the silverware.

“I am just so happy to have made my first ever Grand Slam singles final”, commented Montjane.

Montjane has once again written her name into the history books, by becoming the first black South African woman to reach a final at Wimbledon.

Kgothatso Montjane makes history at Wimbledon