GALLERY: Jordan Morais will make waves in the tennis world

Jordan Morais needs the support of the community to make his dreams of playing tennis in Portugal come true.

January 28, 2019

Roedolf Walker 3 minutes read

DISCUSSING THE FUTURE: Jordan Morais speaks to his coaches Rui Claro and Etienne De Wet.

JORDAN Morais (19), a young gentleman and developing tennis talent from Alberton, will make his dreams of being a professional tennis player come true come hell or high water.

He wishes to return to Lisbon, Portugal, to pursue his dream of playing at the highest level on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Tour.

Jordan started playing tennis at the age of six.

“Since then I was drawn to it,” said Jordan. “I found it to be engaging, interesting, exciting and to me it has always stood out above other sports.”

When Jordan was nine he started taking tennis more seriously. He later met his long-term coaches Etienne De Wet and Rui Claro. Already his talent was apparent, as by age 14 he had broken into the top 100 u-14 national age group, top 150 u-16 national age group and top 300 u-18.

This is where Rui showed real interest in Jordan and proposed to his parents that he should go to Portugal to train at his tennis centre, Duna Guincho. It was proposed he goes there at the age of 16.

Any coach’s dream player

“Jordan, apart from his talent, shows a lot of dedication,” said Rui when speaking to the RECORD. “He is very committed and never shies away from training. He has good spirit and good morals. He is the kind of player that any coach would love to have.”

Unfortunately, in the year when Jordan turned 16, unexpected events led to his parents’ separation. This had a huge effect on Jordan’s life, as he and his brother had to be taken out of school and his participation in tournaments declined, leading up to the proposed move to Portugal.

The nature of his family situation also left a matter of uncertainty regarding the financial implications of training in Portugal.

“In an attempt not to let the situation get to me I focused on honing my skills in preparation for going to Portugal, whether I was going or not,” Jordan said

Sadly, Jordan was unable to go to Portugal but with the support of his family, coach and physical trainer Ronel Beukes, he kept pushing.

In 2016, a year later, Jordan got the opportunity he has always dreamed of. Despite financial constraints and through the support of people close to him, Jordan went to Portugal for two weeks.

During these two weeks he would play trials to get his spot.

“On my arrival it was everything I could have dreamed of and it felt like home,” Jordan said. “ I was thrilled to see my coach Rui and excited to start making my dreams a reality.”

The result of the trials would determine whether Jordan could return in 2017. Jordan’s coaches were astonished by his performance.

The coaches he worked with in Portugal were impressed with his attitude and dedication and he was invited back for 2017. The coaches told Jordan he could be playing in the ITF tournaments within six months.

Tragedy strikes again

Jordan returned in 2017. Despite being where he wanted to be, the months in Portugal weren’t easy financially, even though his family did their best to support him.

“As the year progressed I started showing great results in tournaments,” said Jordan. “Soon I would be able to earn a living from the game I love.”

Tragedy struck for Jordan on July 11, 2017, when, during a tournament, his foot gave out and he injured his ankle. Jordan pushed himself to win as his team was depending on him. Jordan returned to South Africa to receive treatment for his ankle and physiotherapists advised him to stay off the court until January 2018.

After long months of recovery, Jordan has once again gotten himself back into shape. Pushing hard through 2018 he has proved that the faith placed in him was not misplaced.

By playing tournaments throughout the year, Jordan is now ranked 70th in the country in men’s singles and 36th in men’s doubles. Jordan is set to once again take up his dream of moving to Portugal and becoming a tennis star. He is filled with dedication and has the work ethic to do anything to reach his dream.

You can help

The obstacle keeping him from reaching his dreams and becoming one of the great sports stars of South Africa is finances. The cost of training is upwards of 1 000 Euros (approximately R15 700) a month. Jordan is unable to cover the costs on his own.

“We are appealing to anyone in the community who are willing to help sponsor a young sports star in the making to contact Jordan’s support team,” said coach Etienne.

For more information on how you can help Jordan feel free to contact his coach Etienne De Wet on 071 564 7722. Any contributions will be most welcome and can help change a young man’s life.