Local upcoming tennis player, Denzel Seetso has narrowly missed out on the opportunity to play in the Australian Junior Open, falling short by just four points.

However, all is not lost for the young prospect, as he will be competing in the Africa Junior Championships in Egypt next month from February 6-11, 2023.

"Hopefully he will earn enough points to qualify for the Junior French Open in May 2023," said the President of the Botswana Tennis Association, Oaitse Thipe, in an interview this week.

Thipe also mentioned that Seetso is in a good mental space, having won two international tennis tournaments in 2022, and previously ranked number one in Africa under 14. Currently, Seetso is ranked sixth in Africa under 18 and is considered a favorite to win the Africa Junior Championships this year.

Other players, such as Ekua Refilwe Youri, Mark Nawa, Chelsea Changanyuka, and Naledi Raguin, will also be competing in the Africa Junior Championships next month. Meanwhile, both Denzel Seetso and Ekua Refilwe could possibly make it to the French Open, if they get good results in the next coming 4 months while Mark Nawa will only make it next year.

The ITF Junior Tourney is a blank canvas for aspiring players to assert themselves on the global stage and make a powerful statement of intent.