St Mary’s Schoool, Waverley, tennis coach asked to captain South Africa

WAVERLEY – René Plant makes a comeback on the world tennis stage, this time as South Africa's Fed Cup captain.

February 7, 2018

Nicholas Zaal 2 minutes read

St Mary’s School, Waverley, will soon have to lend their tennis coach to the South African national women’s team.

Tennis legend, René Plant has been appointed the country’s Fed Cup captain and will head the women’s team’s training and preparation from now all the way until the tournament in Montenegro in April 2020.

This comes on the back of a successful international tennis career that saw Plant ranked in the top 10 as a junior, and reach the Wimbledon junior singles final in 1981, before a professional career saw her play in the grand slams (Wimbledon was her favourite) and once reach a ranking of 30th in the world.

Plant later won the over 40s section of the Seniors World Tennis Championships.

“Tennis is a game for life,” she said simply.

Listen to Rene speak about her goals for 2018 by clicking here!

Plant’s knowledge of the game, coupled with coaching skills she has learnt on the job as a coach, will help her take South Africa’s women’s tennis to the next level.

“It is a privilege and honour to be the Fed Cup captain,” she said. “There is a big challenge ahead, with some of our best women’s players playing in colleges overseas and it is tough getting the colleges to let them go, but we will have a competitive team with the ability to do well.”

St Mary’s head of marketing, Kathy Mittendorf said the school was immensely proud of Plant and wished her the best.

“René has been the coach at St Mary’s for the past 10 years and has taken our tennis from strength to strength,” she said.

“We are now one of the top tennis schools in the country, and it is largely thanks to her. René has been very dedicated – coaching lessons from as early as 5am and 6am until late afternoon.”

Plant was first inspired to pursue tennis seriously after her aunt, Pat Pretorius helped South Africa win the Fed Cup in 1972, and handed her the winner’s brooch.

She then turned professional at the age of eight and has never looked back.

If you know of any stories you would like published, let us know about them on our Facebook page.