20 Jan 2026

The Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) has been commended for its ability to put the region on the map by consistently hosting flawless and high-profile international tournaments.

In an interview, Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) vice president, Jonas Alberto Junior said Botswana had become a reliable hub for elite competition. That followed events recently hosted in the country which included the Davis Cup, ITF J100 and the ITF/CAT Southern Africa Junior Championships.
Alberto Junior said BTA had been a standout representative for Southern Africa since last year.
“They have been increasing the number of events and we know it is not easy to put a successful tournament together. We are happy Botswana continues to deliver,” he said.
He added that he was impressed by the huge player turnout for the Southern Africa Junior Championships, saying it was big record for CAT.
He also extended his gratitude to the national associations across the zone for their commitment to sending athletes to Gaborone.
Again, he said the level of competition, particularly among the Under-14 players, signalled a bright future for the sport.
He further said the quality of play was a result of solid development structures.
“We have witnessed 11-year-old players competing in the Under-14 category and performing exceptionally well. That alone is a clear indication that nations have invested in grassroots development, which will elevate the level of competition across Africa,” he noted. As the Zone V president, Alberto Junior said he believed that such robust structures would eventually produce athletes capable of representing Africa on the world’s biggest stages, including the ATP Tour and Grand Slams.
To sustain the momentum, he called for continued collaboration including, among others, joint training camps for regular sessions for elite players to train together, knowledge exchange to give coaches the opportunities to share expertise as well as increased competition to keep players match-ready. ENDS