ITF

26 Summer 2022 ITF World KG MONTJANE The Cruyff Foundation was founded in 1997 by the late Johan Cruyff. The legendary Dutch football player established the organisation to provide social sports projects for children with special needs, working both in the Netherlands and internationally. The Cruyff Foundation began supporting the ITF's wheelchair tennis development activities in 2002 and became programme partner of the ITF's junior wheelchair tennis programme in 2004. Over the past 20 years, hundreds of men, women and children have taken part in its camps and clinics in more than 60 countries, experiencing The ITF – Cruyff Foundation partnership "That's where my passion lies," Montjane said. "Development. Development and supporting a talented player's development is the most important part of any sport; my story shows that. "I feel like where I've come from, I can identify with that, because I know how tough it is to do what I've done when you come from my little part of the world." Whilst players like herself, fellow South Africans Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole who play in the quad division on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, and indeed 2022 Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, have through their achievements increased awareness of tennis is Africa, the world No. 4 believes more can still be done. She said, "The disadvantage for tennis in Africa is I don't think it's really counted as one of the popular sports, that's why it's still on the back foot a bit. "Players like me, we sort of bring it into the spotlight and pave the way the way for the next generation. I just hope the programmes [that] we had the opportunities through keep running, because they have so much impact. "I feel like the ITF and Cruyff Foundation should take pride in what they have done and can do together. Introducing all of these projects into Africa, I'm not sure if they ever thought they would create a high-ranked elite level player, they just wanted to and were passionate about introducing wheelchair tennis into Africa. "If a player like me, coming from where I've come from and coming out of the ITF and Cruyff Foundation programmes, can reach the levels and high ranking that I'm at, you can imagine if they start them small where those players could go. "Because if you're given the resources and you're exposed to tennis the way I was, you can succeed and grow as an individual." n wheelchair tennis for the first time and in many cases being inspired and encouraged to play more. Many of wheelchair tennis's elite players are a product of the ITF/ Cruyff Foundation junior and development programmes, including current world No. 1s Diede de Groot and Niels Vink, as well as Montjane, Alfie Hewett, Angelica Bernal, Martin de la Puente and Aniek van Koot. Above: Other top players to have benefited from the Cruyff Founda on include Spain's Mar n de la Puente and Aniek van Koot of Netherlands In Kgothatso Montjane: My Story, part of an ITF Wheelchair Tennis video series C L I C K H E R E TO WATC H KG OT H ATS O

• Cover