03 Oct 2025

Although she has lost two games so far at the Masters tournament held in Tunisia, Botswana tennis sensation Malak Macheng has taken the loss on the chin.

Malak, the first Motswana girl to play in the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) Masters tournament, lost her first match 0-6, 0-6 to Tunisia’s Melek Gamaoun, a seed two player of the tournament.

In her second match, against Triki Cyrine of Tunisia, Malak went down fighting as she forced the match to be separated by a deciding set where she lost 1-6, 6-7(7-3) against the tournament’s third seed.

Malak revealed in an interview that despite losing her matches, she was happy with the exposure and the experience she is gaining at the CAT Masters.

“Yes, I want to win, but playing the Masters tournament means a lot to me given that this tournament is the highest level of all the tournaments I have played,” he said.

Malak said as much as she was sad that she had lost, she was happy that she lost fighting, and that she carried home with her many valuable lessons from the tournament.

“I have identified some of my mistakes, and once back home after the tournament, I will work on correcting those,” she said.

Botswana Tennis Association vice president, Nonofo Othusitse said the CAT Masters was one of Africa’s top junior tournaments, featuring the best Under 14 players from across the continent.

“Note that only eight players get to qualify and compete in this event. And Malak’s qualification for the tournament goes beyond being a personal win as it evokes a sense of national pride,” Othusitse said, as he labelled the qualification a big feat for tennis in Botswana. He views Malak, currently ranked 14^th in the CAT Under 14 girls’ singles rankings, as an inspiration and model to the next generation of players, especially to young girls. He said players who aspired to follow in her footsteps would realise, through her qualification, that competing and registering success on an international stage at a young age was a dream that was very much within reach.

He said Malak’s qualification and participation at the CAT Masters reinforced calls to invest in grassroots development, host international tournaments and support junior players, thus creating a pathway for Botswana juniors to reach elite levels.

Othusitse said in terms of the 13-year-old player’s development in the sport, competing in one of Africa’s most prestigious and competitive events would without doubt spur her on to keep reaching for the stars.

He said competing at the CAT Masters meant Malak would face the best Under 14 players in Africa, which would challenge her skills, mindset and strategy.

He said the level of competition was essential for growth and prepares her for future international events.

“At a personal level, she gets attention and exposure to attract sponsors and sports brands. This opens doors to potential partnerships, sponsorships and scholarships,” he said.

Othusitse lauded their different sponsors and partners for their support which allowed BTA to deliver on some of its initiatives.

“Spar, Senn Foods, Cresta Hotels, Gaborone Electronics are some of the businesses that decided to invest in us and I believe they are now seeing the return on investment,” he said

He said the recent performances by both junior and senior players reflected Botswana’s growing prominence and competitiveness in the world of sports. ENDS