👦 Ryan Nel | Tennis Papers interview, October 2025

“My dream is to become a professional tennis player.”

Meet Ryan Nel, South African boy junior tennis player who lives in Bothaville, South Africa and competing in U16 tennis category.

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

📘 Ryan Nel | Biography, October 2025

🏠 Residence | Bothaville, South Africa

🌻 A friendly farming town in the Free State, known as the maize capital of South Africa.
🚜 Surrounded by golden fields, it’s the heart of the country’s agricultural life.
🎉 Home to the famous NAMPO Harvest Day, one of the largest farming shows in the world.
☀️ Peaceful, welcoming, and full of rural charm, Bothaville celebrates the true spirit of South Africa’s countryside!

🎙️Ryan Nel | Interview, October 2025

Hello, introduce yourself please.
My name is Ryan Nel, I am 16 years old — born on June 15, 2009.
I live in Bothaville, South Africa.

What languages ​​do you speak?
Afrikaans and English

At what age did you start playing tennis?
At the age of 12

Are there other tennis players in your family?
My brother and my father used to play.

In which club do you train tennis?
Bothaville Hoërskool

Who is your tennis coach?
Vikus Pretoruis

What is your weekly training routine?
I train every day from Monday to Friday — 3 hours a day.

As an athlete, what is your greatest quality and what do you need to improve?
My greatest quality is that I never give up even when I don’t want to practice or do something I always do it the best I can.

What is your junior tennis category and your national tennis ranking?
I am currently unranked but I got districk trails this week.

What has been your greatest achievement?
Being in the 1st tennis player of my school.

In which countries have you already participated in tennis tournaments?
Only In South Africa

Do you have any sponsors?
No I do not.

What is your goal for 2026?
To be the best tennis player in the province.

What is your tennis dream?
To become a D1 athlete in the USA and then after to become a professional tennis player.

Who are your favorite tennis players?
Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer

What do you like to do outside of tennis?
To be active, like to gym or play some other sports.

To which people would you like to dedicate this interview?
To any Sponsorship willing to take a chance on me or any D1 schools.

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