👧 Lorena Zandamela | Tennis Papers interview, November 2025

“My dream is to win multiple Grand Slams.”

Meet Lorena Zandamela, Mozambican girl junior tennis player who lives in Pretoria, South Africa and competing in U16 tennis category.
Lorena is the number 1 is Mozambique in her category and competes in international tournaments in worldwide.

(Information gathered via an exclusive interview by Tennis Papers).

📘 Lorena Zandamela | Biography, November 2025

🌸 Pretoria, South Africa 🇿🇦

🏛️ Known as the Jacaranda City, its streets bloom with purple flowers every spring.
🌞 One of South Africa’s three capitals, it’s rich in history, culture, and education.
🌳 Home to the Union Buildings, peaceful parks, and warm, welcoming neighborhoods.
💛 With its mix of beauty, heritage, and calm energy, Pretoria shines as a graceful and vibrant city!

🎙️Lorena Zandamela | Interview, November 2025

Hello, introduce yourself please.
My name is Lorena Zandamela. I am 16 years old, I was born on June 12, 2009.
I am from Mozambique, and I currently live in South Africa.

What languages ​​do you speak?
I speak Portuguese, English and Spanish but I can mostly understand Spanish than speak.

At what age did you start playing tennis?
I started playing tennis when I was 12.

Are there other tennis players in your family?
My sister and my dad play tennis.

In which club do you train tennis?
I am from Koedoepark Tennis Club.

Who is your tennis coach?
My coach is Frans Cronje.

What is your weekly training routine?
I train 1 hour at the gym in the morning Monday-Friday — 3 hours of tennis practice morning Monday-Friday, and 2 hours of afternoon Tuesday-Thursday.

As an athlete, what is your greatest quality and what do you need to improve?
As an athlete, my greatest quality is my discipline, and something to improve is my control of emotions on court.

What is your junior tennis category and your national tennis ranking?
I am a U16 player and my national rank is number 1.

What has been your greatest achievement?
My best success would be getting 4th place girls singles U15-U16 and semifinals in mixed doubles at the Little Mo International Tournament Palm Beach Gardens, USA.

In which countries have you already participated in tennis tournaments?
I have played in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, South Africa, USA and Portugal.

Do you have any sponsors?
I am sponsored by HEAD.

What is your goal for 2026?
My 2026 goal is to get my first WTA ranking.

What is your tennis dream?
To win multiple Grand Slams.

Who are your favorite tennis players?
Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal.

What do you like to do outside of tennis?
I like to bake, dance, watch movies/shows and spend time with friends and family.

To which people would you like to dedicate this interview?
I would like to dedicate this interview to my parents, because without them I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing now.

Thanks a lot Lorena!
Tennis Papers wishes you the best in your tennis life 💜🩷