In its continued support of tennis and providing the perfect platform for the world’s best junior players, Curro Holdings is proud to again be the host and sponsor of two International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior tennis tournaments from 9 to 21 September 2024, at Curro Hillcrest in Durban. Following on the success of the Curro Centre Court Series in June/July this year, also an ITF event held in Hillcrest, these tournaments, sanctioned by Tennis South Africa, will feature some of the top ranked junior U18 players, boys and girls, from around the world.

The first tournament is the J200 from 9 to 14 September, followed by the J300 from 16 to 21 September. This is another world-class tennis event that Curro has brought to South Africa to continue its focus on tennis development and growth in South Africa and provide the ideal platform for young players to take their game further. “Tennis is a major sport in most of our schools and our involvement in promoting the sport at international level allows many South African players the opportunity and stage to participate and be noticed. Several Curro learners have gone on to make that step into the professional ranks,” said Curro CEO Cobus Loubser.

Ada Kumru

Loubser added that off the court, the standard of tennis should attract a healthy flow of spectators over the two weeks. “These junior players deliver an incredible level of high-class tennis and entertainment. People must realise that the big names in today’s world of tennis all started by playing in tournaments like these. Who knows what gems will be uncovered at Curro Hillcrest for future stardom on the courts of the world,” he said.

Topping the rankings in the girls’ draw is Turkey’s Ada Kumru, ranked 85^th in the world junior standings, with South Africa’s Danielle Chapman, ranked 195 in the world, seeded 20^th in the main draw. Three South African girls play in the qualifiers, including 14-year-old Jahnie van Zyl, who was a crowd favourite at the Curro Centre Court series.

Jahnie van Zyl

For the boys, the Czech Republic’s Petr Brunclik ranked an outstanding  22^nd on the world rankings, brings exceptional skill to the courts as he takes the top seeding. There are four South Africans, led by John Bothma and Connor Doig, who will play in the main draw and multiple others in the qualifying draw.  At a venue measuring up to international standards, these two tournaments will excite tennis enthusiasts who appreciate the skill, effort and dedication displayed by each player as they pursue and strive for excellence in the sport they cherish. Selected matches at the tournaments will be aired on the Curro Sport YouTube channel.

Petr Brunclik