Wheelchair tennis star Lucas Sithole has been in brilliant form recently – winning more than four titles to make up for a lacklustre 2014.
The year has been filled with good fortune for Sithole. He reclaimed the British Open title, which he first won in 2013, and the SA Open against world number one, American David Wagner.
Although Sithole won the SA Open at the Ellis Park tennis court in April, he is adamant that he does not want to relive the match.
“That day was cold and I only had an energy drink for breakfast. I wasn’t nervous, but I was certainly not confident.
“I lost the first set 3-6 but came back to win the last two sets 6-3, 6-3,” he said.
Sithole has dropped from second to fourth place in the quads men’s singles’ rankings.
He told City Press this was the year for him to regain lost ground.
“Last year, my coach and I didn’t have a good plan and we took it easy because I was very tired. I’m hoping I will come back on top this year because I’m feeling very confident,” he said.
Sithole beat Wagner in straight sets of 7-5, 6-2 to win the Japan Open doubles title last year.
He has a diploma in sports management, which he obtained in the same month that he won his first US Open quad title – his maiden grand slam in 2013.
Sithole plans to reach new heights in his career and believes his hard work will eventually pay off.
“I want to go very far where no one has been able to in my sport. The sky is the limit,” he said.
The multitalented father of three is also a musician. He produced a maskandi album last year as a tribute to his late father and is hoping to produce another one later this year.
Sithole will be shifting focus after the Paralympics next year and plans to venture into the developmental side of sport