Rising Star Tennis campaign comes to Pretoria
The headquarters of Tennis Gauteng North in Groenkloof, Pretoria, is one of the venues that will host the National Finals of the BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis campaign this coming weekend.
Talented young players from around the country will converge in Gauteng this coming weekend, as they battle it out for top honors in the National Finals of the BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis campaign, to be held at Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre in Soweto and Groenkloof Tennis Club in Pretoria from Friday 22 October to 24 October.
Closing out another successful series, all 52 teams competing in the National Finals had to work hard through multiple rounds to earn their places.
The second edition of the BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis program started with over 3 000 players turning out in 30 district tournaments, followed by provincial playoff events across South Africa.
The series also expanded in multiple ways this year, including secondary schools and a wheelchair tennis competition for the first time.
A new phase-feeder program was also introduced, along with virtual masterclasses for players, and the opportunity for kids to interact with BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis ambassadors Kevin Anderson and Kholo Monti.
In line with program objectives – providing tennis access to children, targeting hundreds of schools across the country, including schools in historically disadvantaged communities in South Africa – tennis activations were held in Atteridgeville, Port Elizabeth, and Polokwane.
Among the 52 teams contesting the National Finals, 36 have qualified through lower divisions in the primary school and high school divisions; eight will be wildcard entries, and eight will compete for the wheelchair tennis title.
On the second day of the National Finals, program ambassadors Kgothatso Montjane and Montsi will conduct coaching clinics to impart their skills to the nation’s future stars.
The last day of the BNP Paribas RCS Rising Star Tennis National Finals will be live-streamed on the Tennis SA YouTube channel.
Source: Rekord East.