Kutlo Motseta
7th April 2025
Seabo Saleshando has come of age in the junior tennis and goes into the World Tennis Tour Junior J30 and J60 tournaments carrying the hopes of Botswana and as the highest ranked player in the tournament.
Saleshando has spent many years preparing for this moment and was introduced to the sport at a young age.
“My dad and his brothers played and then I started lessons. As time went on, I started to take it more seriously. I started with my brother. Got more serious in my first year at high school. I went to school in the morning and played in the afternoons.”
Tennis is a notoriously difficult because competitive players start very young. Most international junior tennis players in the first world do not attend formal schooling, they correspond online as they travel the world. At the ongoing tournament, you may occasionally see them doing their homework as I witnessed in past tournaments.
The Forbes list of the highest paid female athletes in the world is basically a tennis list, whilst men also rank high on the list with some competition from other sports such as soccer etc.
Though Saleshando, who has university tennis scholarships abroad is passionate about the sport, he is not in tennis for the money but prioritises academics.
“I have spoken to lots of coaches, to see which school is a good fit. The US (United States of America) has a good system [you] can study and play sports, teachers understand that this student has to play sport. If the opportunity presents itself [I would play career tennis] apart from tennis I am good on the academic side. My primary focus is school [if professional tennis happens it happens]”.
Saleshando is aware of the competitiveness of international and it is taking by the stride.
“Overseas the majority of players prioritise tennis above school. They take it a lot more seriously.”
Saleshando is finally 18 and is now competing against his age mates, though his talent previously enabled him to play in the international tennis circuit with the older players. The playing field has evened out, as the older players are no more eligible to play.
Saleshando’s compatriot and Botswana’s US based and top ranked player Denzel has reportedly been very supportive along with his tennis peers.
“I am number one seed at home, this is the final year I want to make sure I do well. Peers expect me to win the tournament. They want their own players in Botswana to win,” revealed Saleshando.
Saleshando cruised through the first round on Tuesday winning 6-2, 6-2 over Zimbabwe’s Anotipa Ghigudu.
The tournament is at the National Tennis Centre in Gaborone, next to the Botswana National Stadium. It started on the 7th April and will conclude on the 12th April. The second tournament will take place between the 14th and 19th April 2025.
Image credit: Botswana Tennis Association
