EXCLUSIVE | ‘You have to invest’: Ilana Kloss on future of SA tennis
· The South African
Ilana Kloss and I meet on a humid afternoon at the ongoing US Open. Kloss’s calm, and sanguine presence is in sharp contrast to the sudden chaos unfolding around us.
An unexpected flurry of cameramen and a reporter swarm a nearby table, and we soon discover the source of the commotion: Naomi Osaka, dressed head-to-toe in Thom Browne has taken her seat for an interview.
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We glance over at the spectacle before returning to our conversation, which is compelling.
Future of South African tennis
There is much to discuss, and one theme surfaces repeatedly: the future of South African tennis, a subject she speaks about with unmistakeable conviction.
For the former South African No 1 and partner of Billie Jean King, the path forward for South African tennis begins with a look backward.
She tells me that the country’s past tennis success could serve as a blueprint for any future investment.
Ilana Kloss has an ITF Women’s tennis tournament named after her in Pretoria, underscoring her ongoing impact to boost elite women’s tennis.
This is a step forwards, given the financial and geographical barriers facing emerging South African players.
When asked what structural changes or investments are needed to rebuild world class SA talent, Kloss echoes something that her partner Billie Jean King has often said: “it’s important to understand history because it helps you shape the future”.
Grew up in South Africa wheN tennis was thriving
The South African legend grew up around Ellis Park, where the South African Championships brought the world’s best players to Johannesburg.
“Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court – I mean, all the best players came,” she recalled.
“And so, as a young kid, you got to see the very best.”
There was also the Sugar Circuit, sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, involving five tournaments where locals could compete against international players affordably, driving city to city.
“You got to compete against players from all over the world, and where you could also afford it, right? Because you could drive from city to city,” she said.
“Things have changed. Obviously, the value of the South African rand compared to the dollar is just so expensive, to put on events.”
That economics gap is what Ilana Kloss wants to fix.
Collaboration
Ilana Kloss and Billie Jean King in collaboration with former South African player John-Laffnie de Jager and US Open CEO Craig Tiley, aims to raise investment for a major tennis centre in Stellenbosch, to create a much-needed hub for Africa.
The project needs roughly $20 million; currently about $2 million has been raised.
“I know Billie Jean and I have made a significant financial commitment,” Kloss said.
“But we need companies and individuals to step up, because it takes long-term investment. You can’t just do one tournament. You need a whole pathway, which includes coaching and development.”
Kloss is keen to stress that the investment should come from home: “It must come from South Africa,” she said.
“They’re building it for themselves.”
To-do list
Ilana Kloss’s to-do list shows no signs of relaxing.
She is currently chair of the Billie Jean King Cup, the World Cup of women’s tennis. South Africa won it in 1973 at Ellis Park, a memory that still shapes her belief in the team format’s unifying power.
“I saw what the power of playing for your country, what it did, how it brought everybody together way beyond sports,” she said.
“Tennis is very special. It has individual and it has team. And we’re very lucky. A lot of sports don’t have that.”
“It teaches you life lessons”.
Acknowledging the difficulty in pushing tennis in a continent which favours investment in other sports like rugby, soccer and cricket, Kloss warned against sidelining tennis, a sport that unifies.
“We should not forget tennis, because tennis is very high profile, and you have team events, and it really can unite the nation,” she said.
Investing in young women goes well beyond the baseline.
“If you’ve participated in sports, you’re a much better leader. And it teaches you life lessons, you know, about self-esteem.”
Recalled a memory
Ilana Kloss recalled a memory from 1973, an important year. Arthur Ashe visited South Africa and made headlines.
Rather poignantly, she recalls her black friends telling her at the time, that it was the first time that they had seen “a free black man”.
“Gosh! That has stayed with me my entire life”.
Another memory was of Kloss and partner Billie Jean King meeting Nelson Mandela.
She speaks of the effect his presence had on her.
“It was unbelievable. It’s the first time that I’ve ever walked into a room and literally couldn’t breathe”.
“Billie Jean talked to him about the old days and the fact that South Africa was able to integrate in a peaceful way, was just unbelievable. Made me proud to be South African, because for many years, people would ask you where you were from, and you’d kind of hesitate.”
‘Roots will always be in South Africa’
It is evident that South Africa has never left Ilana Kloss’s heart.
“My roots will always be in South Africa,” she said.
“When I get off the plane and I can smell the soil and the air, I know that I’m home.” She emphasises the importance of staying true to one’s roots.
“The world is so much more global, and you do have to go and travel. But you never, ever want to forget where you started,” she said. Her inspiring advice to all: “Build relationships, because relationships are everything. And as a young person, try to get a mentor.”
Ultimately, investment is key to unlock the full potential of what South Africa has to offer.
“South Africa and Africa has incredible potential, but you have to invest. You have to put in to get out. I think we’ve fallen a little short on the tennis side.”
Amisha Savani is reporting exclusively for The South African from the 2026 US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York