🎾 CHAPTER 1 — THE DREAM BEGAN WITH A RACKET I was only 8 years old when I first picked up a tennis racket. I didn’t know it then, but that moment would change my entire life. I was just a little girl with a racket in my hand and a dream that was far bigger than I could understand. And beside me was my dad. He was the first person who believed. Before rankings. Before medals. Before representing South Africa. Before travelling the world. Before anyone else knew my name. There was just me, my dad, and a dream. ❤️ He would watch me play, encourage me when I struggled, celebrate every little victory and remind me that I could become something special. Slowly, tennis stopped being just a sport. It became my life. The hours became longer. The training became harder. The matches became more important. And that little dream I had at 8 years old started becoming something I was willing to sacrifice everything for. I started dreaming about wearing the South African colours. 🇿🇦 I dreamed about walking onto the biggest courts in the world. I dreamed about playing Grand Slams. And every time I stepped onto a tennis court, my dad was part of that dream. Then life changed. I lost my dad when I was 16. The person who had been there from the very beginning was suddenly gone. And honestly, there were moments when I didn’t know how I was supposed to keep going. Tennis was the thing we had dreamed about together. And suddenly, I had to chase that dream without the person who started it with me. But I made myself a promise. I wasn’t going to let our dream die with him. So I kept going. Through the tears. Through the losses. Through the long training days. Through the airports and hotel rooms. Through the moments when I questioned whether I was good enough. I kept picking up my racket. Because every time I walk onto a tennis court, I feel like I’m carrying a piece of that little 8-year-old girl with me. The girl who didn’t know how difficult the road would be. The girl who simply believed she could do something extraordinary. Today, I’m representing South Africa, competing internationally and chasing a place among the best players in the world. But I’m still chasing the same dream. The dream my dad and I started when I was 8. And this is only the beginning. I don’t know exactly where this road will take me. But I know I’m going to keep walking it. One match. One tournament. One country. One dream at a time. And one day, I hope I get to walk onto a Grand Slam court, look up at the crowd, and know that the little girl with the racket made it. Dad, this one’s for you. ❤️🎾🇿🇦 Welcome to my journey.