Having first gripped a tennis racket at four years old, back home in Johannesburg, South Africa, Michelle made a name for herself throughout her childhood through local and national competitions. Her success then led her to an impressive athletic scholarship at the University of Alabama.
As an adult, Michelle hung up her racket and spent her time coaching other tennis players to success. Now, it felt like the right time to reignite her competitive spirit, and what better place to do so than on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour?
The ITF World Tennis Masters Tour is an international series of tournaments that involves players with varying levels of skills. Events include singles, doubles, and mixed doubles competitions, all playing against their own age categories.
In a candid conversation with TennisHQ, Michelle shared her experience in the sport, the challenges of self-funding her newfound tennis career, and her ambitious goals despite the demands of motherhood. Michelle has embarked on a remarkable journey, all while balancing coaching responsibilities and parenthood, proving that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.
“Approximately two and a half years ago, I decided I wanted to start competing again,” Michelle explained. “I was playing county-level tennis but wanted to compete more regularly and at a higher level, so I decided to compete on the ITF Masters Tour.”
Taking part in this tour meant saying goodbye to her family for extended periods of time. Not only this, but embarking on a tournament of this kind requires substantial costs that come with flights and accommodation.
Michelle said, “I love competing on the tour and wish I could do it full-time. I am self-funded by my coaching, so I have to be selective as to which tournaments I play.
“I base myself in the UK, then select which tournaments I want to play and travel to them. There are players who travel most of the year. I’m completely self-funded, so it would be great to be sponsored! Prize money is very low, so you can’t count on that to offset expenses.”
The 55-year-old mum has competed all over the UK with notable tournament wins in Bournemouth and at the all-British Championships in London. Since then, her impressive tennis skills have taken her across the globe to Hong Kong, Hungary, Turkey, Majorca, and Mexico.
Since taking part in these tennis travels, Michelle has ranked herself at number one in the UK for her age group and, after recent success, is continuing to climb up the world ranking. “My goal is to be number one in the world and to win the Masters World Championships,” she said.
Life on tour may seem appealing, but there are significant challenges to consider before committing to a life in tennis. According to Michelle, “The days are long,” and practice courts are generally only available before play starts, so you have to wake up early to squeeze in a warm-up.
She said, “My husband and son recently travelled to Turkey to watch me play. It was at a large resort, so it made it a bit more family-friendly. I loved having them there supporting me and being part of my success.
“Initially, I think they thought it was glamorous, but they soon realised there is a lot of waiting around the courts, and when matches don’t go to schedule, you can finish very late.”
Having just returned from competing in Mexico, the mother-turned-tennis superstar is planning to take some much-needed time off before planning ahead and taking on the courts at Wimbledon, MaJorca, and, hopefully, Hong Kong. As her success takes her around the world, Michelle proves that it’s never too late to pick up where you left off.
