Some talented tennis players have appeared in South Africa over the years. These athletes, both male and female, are considered top based on their results. You will probably know some names if you read WTA, ATP and other big tournaments news! Starting with veterans like Frew McMillan and Wayne Ferreira down to Kevin Anderson and Kyle Edmund, the list goes on and on.
Top South African tennis players have taken the big stages at Grand Slams, WTA and ATP, and International Tennis Federation tournaments. They have shown that sometimes they can even match American and European talents like Serena Williams and Roger Federer. From the article, you will know what South African players to pick for your bets, you can also look for correct score tips to grab some ideas from betting specialists.
Kevin Anderson
Kevin Anderson is up there in the ranks of best South African tennis players. He was born on 18 May 1986 in Johannesburg. Anderson became a professional in 2007. His career-high in rankings was No.5, and it was achieved on 16 July 2018.
This made him the first South African to be No. 5 ranking since Kevin Curren. His first ATP tour title was won in 2011, where he beat Somdev Devvarman. He won his second ATP title in 2012, the third ATP 250 in 2015, followed by the fourth ATP World Tour title in 2018.
Anderson’s Grand Slam final debut came in 2017 at the US Open, but he lost to Rafael Nadal. He didn’t end the year trophyless as he took home the 2017 Abu Dhabi World Tennis Championship.
Amazing feats in his career include making the Wimbledon finals in 2018. This was his second major final, beating John Isner in the semifinals. The semifinal was the second longest match. It lasted for 6 hours and 36 minutes.
Amanda Coetzer
Amanda Coetzer is the eighth most famous tennis player. The South African professional tennis player was born on 22 October 1971. She went pro in 1988 and dropped the racket in 2004. Her highest ranking was No.3 after three Grand Slam semis and one final. Coetzer finished in WTA top 20 for ten straight seasons.
The 1996 and 1997 Australian Open, and 1997 French Open semifinals, and the 1993 US Open doubles final. The nickname, “the little assassin”, was coined for her because she scored so many upset wins despite her small stature. Coetzer is well rated because she regularly beats players ranked higher than her back then.
More South African tennis players
There are a few less famous South African tennis players that can be covered.
Wayne Fereira
Wayne Fereira is a former pro player born on 15 September 1971 in Johannesburg. He became a pro in 1989 and retired in 2005. His records are 15 ATP singles titles and 11 doubles titles. Fereira remains one of the few professionals to have beaten Roger Federer.
Few Mcmillan
Frew Mcmillan is a former tennis pro from Springs, South Africa. He won five Grand Slam doubles titles. He was born on 20 May 1942. Mcmillan took over the headlines after winning the 1967 Wimbledon Championship with Bob Hewitt, his tennis partner, without losing any sets. Altogether, he has 63 doubles titles. Mcmillan is inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Bob Hewitt
Bob Hewitt is a former professional tennis player from Australia who changed his citizenship to South Africa after marrying Dalaille. He had a notable career. Hewitt won the Grand Slam titles in both doubles and mixed doubles. Overall, 27 singles titles, 65 doubles titles and nine Grand Slams in doubles. Bob was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992.
Ilana Kloss
Ilana Kloss is a female tennis pro born in Johannesburg on 22 March 1956. Currently, she is the commissioner of World TeamTennis. In 1976, Ilana was No.1 in doubles and No. 19 in singles in the years 1976 and 1979, respectively. Champion of four Grand Slam title.
Lloyd Harris
Lloyd Harris is a tennis profrom Cape Town, South Africa, born on 24 February 1997. He made the headlines when he beat Rafael Nadal at the ATP 500 in Washington. Lloyd is ranked No. 31 in singles by ATP. Currently, he is South Africa’s No. 1 singles men player.
Lucas Sithole
Lucas Sithole is a wheelchair tennis player born on 30 September 1986. He became the first African player to win the US Open quad title in 2013 and followed it up with the Australian Open quad doubles title partnering with David Wagner in 2016. Sithole is a two-time Grand Slam title winner.
What is the criteria to be considered a top player?
To be considered a top player, the best performance across 16 singles and 11 doubles tournaments will be picked. The rankings determine qualification for some competitions and the seed where the player will start from. For example, you don’t see Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal facing off in the first round or second round of a tournament. Where they can meet is in the semifinals or finals, this happens because of player seeds.
“ATP rankings are based on the points a tennis player earns in the official ATP singles or doubles events in the course of 52 weeks. The player’s best results in the events are what will be used for the rankings. Each tournament has its points system. WTA rankings are determined by the player’s best result from a maximum of 16 singles and 11 doubles events. It must include points from the four Grand Slams and four WTA 1000s. The points system is similar to that of ATP,” reminds Alex Weaver, a tennis betting expert of Takebet South Africa.
What top tournaments have been won by South African players?
South African players have performed very well and won the top tennis competitions. Louis Raymon won Gold Medal at the Summer Olympics, with six South African Championships. Kevin Curren has four Grand Slams doubles titles.
Johan Kriek has won two Australian Open singles. Ilana Kloss won two Grand Slam doubles. Frew McMillan won five Grand Slam doubles titles, of which three were Wimbledon doubles with Bob Hewitt. There are other players that have won ATP tour titles, but one thing is clear, South African players have excelled at the top events.
