Hilma Nalupe

Growing up in Okahandja, Joanivia Bezuidenhout (16) was introduced to the tennis sport when she was only nine years old. She initially started off with netball and athletics, which she says taught her coordination, discipline and a love for competition.

The first time she learned about tennis was when her father told her about it. “My dad was on his way back home from work and drove past a tennis court with children being taught how to play and thought I might want to try it,” she said.

Bezuidenhout inspired herself to take tennis seriously, because by the age of 10, she already knew that she wanted to play the sport professionally.

Out of the many milestones that she achieved in her tennis career, Bezuidenhout names being ranked number one when she was U/12, U/14, U/16 and being in the senior ladies’ rankings stood out most for her.

“I was really proud of myself because not only was there a lot of competition, but I have also worked hard to get where I am today,” she said.

Her proudest moments are always when she plays matches at home and sees a lot of people standing behind her to support and encourage. Bezuidenhout says this always reminds her that she is not playing for herself, but for the whole nation.

“My favorite moment was when Frankie Fredericks came to watch my World U/18 Junior Tournament match. I felt so special because he is a true Namibian hero who continues to inspire me,” Bezuidenhout said.

The toughest tournament that she played was a Junior tournament in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The pressure got to her and did not allow her to execute what she wanted to do on the court, which inevitable took away her ability to play her best in that match.

Despite not always doing her best, the aspects that define her game the most are her volleys, slices, backhands and her aggressive footwork.

Before matches, her mental preparations start the night before. She finds a quiet spot to visualise herself playing the best tennis that she can play. Replacing negative thoughts with the positive and thinks about what she can and not control in the court.  

Physically she does quick footwork warm-ups and practices her shots. When she is not playing tennis or studying, she is spending time with her family solving quizzes or taking walks outside or listening to music and dancing with her friends. In her spare time, Bezuidenhout bakes muffins to cover some of her minor expenses and takes time to plough back into the community by being part of many developmental tennis projects in Okahandja.

Her biggest tournament so far was the Billie Jean King Cup, a tournament she has taken part in three times in a row so far. 

“I am grateful to have made the team three times in a row. The experience was amazing and I played against some of the best players across the world, some of whom are even older than me, allowing me to access my level of play,” she said.

Amongst many other accolades, Bezuidenhout currently holds five Junior Masters first place titles, one Senior Masters first place, two youth games first place titles and multiple best player of the year awards.

She hopes to play more matches this year, to build up her ranking and get a scholarship to play college tennis, which she will eventually use to play professional. hnalupe@nepc.com.na