The Story of Tennis in Lenasia

The story of tennis in Lenasia is one of perseverance, talent, community and an enduring love for the game. From humble beginnings in the 1970s, through the difficult years of apartheid, to the growth and revival that followed, tennis in Lenasia has been shaped by generations of players, coaches, volunteers and families who continued to keep the game alive.

The tennis facility as it stands today dates back to around 1970, when the nine courts were constructed during the apartheid era. By the late 1970s, the courts had already become a gathering place for people from across Lenasia who shared a passion for tennis. In 1979, the local tennis organisation was affiliated with the South Western Transvaal Tennis Union (SWWTU), which served as the governing tennis body for the area at the time. The facility already had the nine courts that remain today, and although there was no formal coaching programme, the club had a healthy membership of approximately 100 players. It was a relatively simple beginning. There were courts, racquets and a growing community of people who wanted to play. What was still missing was the structured development that would eventually turn Lenasia into a force within South African tennis.

A New Era of Ambition

By 1982, a new generation of administrators and players was beginning to take a more active role in shaping the future of tennis in Lenasia. Over the following two years, discussions began around moving the organisation into a stronger competitive structure. The decision was eventually taken for SWWTU to join the Transvaal Tennis Board, based in Benoni, which was affiliated to the national tennis body. This opened the door to a much broader competitive environment and helped establish Lenasia as an important centre for tennis.

The strength and organisation of the Lenasia club soon attracted players from surrounding areas. Talented players from Bosmont, Newlands, Ennerdale and Eldorado Park became part of the growing tennis community. Among them were players such as Cavin Bergman, Raymond Anthony, Hermie Abrahams, Chota Vawda and Hanif Dinath, along with many other talented competitors. Their arrival brought experience, competitiveness and, importantly, a growing belief that Lenasia could produce players capable of competing at the highest levels available to them.

Building the Next Generation

One of the most important developments of this period was the introduction of an extensive junior coaching programme. Coaches including Cavin Bergman, Raymond Anthony, Hermie Abrahams, Anver Latib and Robbie Naidoo played an important role in developing the young players coming through the ranks. What had once been a club with little formal coaching began to develop into a structured environment where boys and girls could learn the game, compete and dream of achieving something bigger.

Over the next few years, Lenasia developed a formidable group of junior players. Families such as the Essays, Tayobs, Saloojees and Khans became part of this growing tennis community, alongside many other young players who represented Lenasia at provincial and national tournaments. The juniors were not simply participating—they were competing. Across both junior and senior tennis, Lenasia players began achieving strong results, winning provincial and national titles and establishing a reputation for producing talented competitors. For a community that had started with nine courts and a small group of passionate players, it was a remarkable transformation.

Tennis in an Abnormal Society

The growth of tennis in Lenasia took place against the backdrop of one of the most difficult periods in South African history. During apartheid, sport was divided along racial lines. Tennis, like other sporting codes, was played under the banner of the South African Council on Sport (SACOS), an organisation formed in opposition to apartheid's racial segregation in sport. SACOS became associated with the powerful principle: “No normal sport in an abnormal society.”

The players and clubs affiliated to SACOS were part of a sporting system that operated under significant political and international restrictions. One of the most painful consequences was that SACOS-affiliated players were not permitted to participate in overseas tennis tournaments. Despite these limitations, Lenasia's players continued to compete, train and achieve. Provincial and national competition provided a platform for players to test themselves, while the local courts remained a place where young people could develop their skills and their love for the game.

The Difficult Years

The political changes that swept across South Africa in the early 1990s brought new possibilities, but they also created uncertainty within the sporting world. Following the country's new political dispensation in 1994, many of Lenasia's most prominent players and executive members moved across to the established tennis body based at Ellis Park. SACOS and the Ellis Park body were not immediately aligned, and political differences continued to influence the sporting landscape.

The departure of so many experienced players and administrators had a profound effect on tennis in Lenasia. The competitive strength that had been built over many years was suddenly diminished. For a period of at least five years, tennis in Lenasia became largely dormant, with only a small handful of players continuing to play. The executive structure also fell away.

Then the courts themselves began to suffer. Without regular maintenance, parts of the facility deteriorated. Courts 5, 6, 7 and 8 were particularly badly affected, with some being vandalised and eventually becoming unplayable. The once-busy courts, which had seen generations of players compete, coach and socialise, fell quiet. For a time, it would have been easy to believe that the story of tennis in Lenasia had reached its end.

It had not.

The Beginning of the Revival

In 1991, even during this difficult period, a small group of social players came together and took steps towards rebuilding an organised tennis structure in Lenasia. Their efforts marked the beginning of a gradual revival. What followed was not an overnight transformation. It was a slow rebuilding process—driven by people who continued to believe that the courts could once again become a home for tennis.

Little by little, organisation returned. Players returned. The game began to regain its place within the community. The journey from those early days in the 1970s had been far from straightforward. Tennis in Lenasia had grown from a modest club with approximately 100 members into a competitive force, producing provincial and national players and creating opportunities for generations of juniors. It had then endured the disruption of South Africa's political transition, the departure of many of its leading players, the collapse of its executive structure and the neglect of its courts.

Yet the game survived.

The story of tennis in Lenasia is therefore not simply a story of courts, tournaments and trophies. It is a story of people who kept coming back. It is the story of coaches who gave their time, parents who supported their children, players who competed despite the limitations of their era, administrators who gave their energy to keeping the club organised, and generations of young players who discovered the game on the same courts.

From nine courts built in the early 1970s to the thriving tennis community that exists today, the journey has been long and sometimes difficult—but the love for the game has endured.

And the story continues to be written.