Fifteen-year-old Mowbray tennis player Siyolise Schultz is preparing for a major step in her sporting career as she plans a move to Europe to compete at a higher international level.Schultz has emerged as one of South Africa’s leading junior tennis talents and is currently ranked sixth in the national junior rankings.

Her growing reputation received a significant boost earlier this year when she defeated Russian player Alexandria Talina, who was ranked among the top 10 under-16 players in the world.Schultz’s development has largely been guided by her family.

After spending several years at a conventional tennis academy without feeling fully supported, she and her father, Simthandile Mantile, decided that he would become her full-time coach.Since then, their focus has shifted towards preparing her for the demands of international professional tennis.Their immediate ambition is for Schultz to qualify for the junior tournament at Roland Garros in 2027.To achieve this, she needs to improve her international junior ranking and break into the world’s top 100 junior players.

In pursuit of valuable ITF ranking points, Schultz and her father will travel to Europe in June for a training block at the MKG Tennis Akademie in Germany, followed by participation in several high-level tournaments across Europe during August and September.

If the European campaign proves successful, the family hopes to relocate permanently to Europe later this year so Schultz can regularly compete against stronger international opponents.To help fund the journey, the family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with travel, academy and tournament expenses.