Kevin Anderson: “It’s Been a Long Journey, but Hard Work Pays Off.”
It’s been a big week for South African tennis player Kevin Anderson. At the start of the week it was announced that he has made it into the elite group of Top 10 highest ranked ATP male tennis players in the world…and this week he beat the world’s no. 6 for the first time (but has […]
It’s been a big week for South African tennis player Kevin Anderson. At the start of the week it was announced that he has made it into the elite group of Top 10 highest ranked ATP male tennis players in the world…and this week he beat the world’s no. 6 for the first time (but has unfortunately just been knocked out of the Shanghai Masters).
On discovering he is now ranked 10th – from his previous best of 12th – in the world, Kevin immediately tweeted: “It has been a long journey, but hard work pays off #Top10 #childhooddream.”
With the Top 10 news to boost him, Kevin secured his first-ever victory over Japan’s Kei Nishikori, the world’s number 6, in the third round of the Shanghai Masters in China yesterday…but unfortunately he was knocked out in the quarter-finals this morning by French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (number 15) – 6-7, 7-5, 4-6.
Like the true sportsman he is, Kevin tweeted: “Well played today @tsonga7. Had a great week here @SHRolexMasters. Thanks for another great year. See you in 2016!”
SA golf champion Ernie Els congratulated Kevin on Twitter for being the first South African tennis player in the World Top 10 in 18 years (since Wayne Ferreira who became No. 10 in May 1997). Ernie said “Well deserved buddy. Talent & hard work is a powerful combination!”
Kevin replied: “Thank you. I’m just trying to follow in your footsteps!”
The only other South Africans to have been in the top 10 are Eric Sturgess, Cliff Drysdale, Kevin Curran (a Wimbledon finalist) and Johan Kriek (grand slam winner).
The 6’8″ tennis player, who now lives with his wife Kelsey in Florida in the USA, reached his first ever grand slam quarter-final at the US Open this year (where he won the US Open Sportsmanship Award).
According to ATPWorldTour.com he is one of the tallest players in the Top 10. Kevin, who turned pro at 21 (he’s now 29), told ATP on Wednesday that when he finished at the University of Illinois his sights were set on breaking the Top 100…”but in the back of my mind it was Top 10. Deep down I had the belief that if I could keep at it, it was possible.”
Kevin attributed his success to his coach Neville Godwin, lessons learnt from previous years, and putting “together a great team that has assisted me along the road”.
Watch Video: Kevin Anderson on finding out he’s in the ATP Top 10
https://youtu.be/UnTsPGXtT1g
It has been a long journey, but hard work pays off #Top10 #childhooddream pic.twitter.com/WxnbB1UryY
— Kevin Anderson (@kevinanderson18) October 12, 2015
Thank you. I’m just trying to follow in your footsteps! https://t.co/qwdfkYzNNa — Kevin Anderson (@kevinanderson18) October 14, 2015