POLOKWANE-Local wheelchair tennis player, Kgothatso (KJ) Montjane and her doubles partner, Yui Kamiji from Japan won the Roland Garros, Grand Slam champion title in Paris on Saturday at the French Open when they beat Diede de Groot and Maria Moreno 6-2, 6-3 to claim the women’s double event.
Montjane, who had previously reached six doubles finals at Grand Slam tournaments between 2019 and 2022, including the French, Australian, US Open and Wimbledon, finally secured her a well-deserved Grand Slam champion title.
The victory holds special significance for Montjane as it avenged her and Kamiji’s defeat against De Groot and Aniek van Koot in the 2022 Roland Garros doubles final.
Furthermore, this remarkable achievement establishes Montjane as the first South African woman to win a French Open title since Tanya Harford and Ros Fairbank (doubles) in 1981 and Mariaan de Swart (mixed doubles) in 2000.
Montjane was quoted to have said: “It is such a great feeling and moment for me. I am really happy that I managed to win my first Grand Slam, even though it’s doubles. But it’s a moment worth living for. I have been fortunate to play both singles and doubles, so it’s an exciting time for me, and I will keep fighting for the singles title that I have been waiting for.
“I am just grateful for the team that I have behind me because if it wasn’t for them, I don’t know how I would have bounced back from a career-threatening injury, and yet today I am here talking about a doubles Grand Slam.”
Both players now set their sights on the French Riviera Open, an ITF Super Series event taking place from June 13-18 in Boit, France.
