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Wheelchair tennis star Alwande Sikhosana says he is thrilled to represent South Africa at the upcoming Flanders Open in Belgium for the first time.
Sikhosana will depart this afternoon to resume his European tour, which will cover the Flanders25, followed by the Belgium Open and the Ultimate Austrian Open.
Speaking to SABC Sport, Sikhosana says he looks forward to displaying his best performance on the global stage.
“Well, I feel honoured to go represent my country doing what I love, but mostly grateful for the opportunity.
“In terms of expectations, I don’t really have many expectations, but I believe I have done the work in my preparation for this tour and I’m going there to bring my best performance and fight through any opponent,’’ said Sikhosana.
Sikhosana recently participated in the ITF Futures International Wheelchair Series in Johannesburg, claiming his first 2025 title after defeating Anthony Dittmar of Germany. He says it was a good experience, which helped him prepare for his European tour.
“It was a great experience and I think it did have some contribution to this upcoming tour as it gave me the confidence that I needed to do well in these tournaments,’’ added Sikhosana.
The 24-year-old further shared his expectations ahead of the Austrian Open. Stating that he looks to perform better in the 2025 edition, having participated in the tournament three times already.
“Well, I have played it 3 times in a row now and last year I reached the quarterfinals, so this year I’m looking to do better,’’ said Sikhosana.
Sikhosana says adding more local tournaments in South Africa, can help players to keep fit and perform better when competing in major tournaments and believes this will help grow the sport in the country.
“I think it can be much better. A lot still needs to be done. I believe with the right support structure from development to high performance, many great players can emerge and conquer the world.
“But I think for now we need more local tournaments to give local players the chance to play tournaments and get a ranking since some can’t afford to play international tournaments, and I’m putting myself in there,’’ he concluded.
