News24 | Where even a mayor can get ‘klapped’: Mitchells Plain aces Wimbledon Street Tennis Day

Laughter, tennis racquets and friendly competition were the order of the day at the Mitchells Plain Tennis Club on Tuesday as hundreds of children and their families gathered for the annual Mitchells Plain Wimbledon Street Tennis Day.

The event, which also celebrated the suburb’s 50th anniversary, gave youngsters a safe and active space to enjoy the school holidays.

With tennis balls flying across the courts, music filling the air and children cheering each other on, the annual event transformed the club into a festival of sport, laughter and community spirit.

Now in its fifth year, the event has become one of Mitchells Plain’s most anticipated community traditions, held every year during the Wimbledon Championships.

What started as a simple knockabout between friends during the Covid-19 pandemic has grown into a celebration of sport, family and community pride.

Founder Rodney Brown said the idea was born during the June school holidays in 2020 when he and well-known Heart FM presenter Aden Thomas realised many children had nowhere safe to play organised sport.

“We were just knocking a ball around and drawing tennis lines with stones and bricks when the kids started asking, ‘Sir, what must we do’? That’s when we realised children were losing the ability to organise sport themselves because of safety concerns and the lack of recreational spaces,” Brown added.

The event was initially hosted on a street in Westridge before moving to the Mitchells Plain Tennis Club, where it is now presented in partnership with the Rodney Brown Foundation.

Brown said this year’s event carried even greater significance as Mitchells Plain celebrates its 50th anniversary.

“It’s about celebrating Mitchells Plain turning 50 and making people aware that we have this incredible tennis club, a swimming pool and facilities that belong to the community. We want children to know these spaces exist and hopefully inspire the next generation of tennis players.”

Throughout the day, children battled it out on the tennis courts while families enjoyed games of dominoes, skipping, building blocks and a jumping castle for younger children.

Giveaways, spot prizes and steaming plates of chicken akhni kept families entertained throughout the afternoon, while youngsters tucked into party packs after spending hours enjoying the festivities.

One of the day’s biggest surprises came when Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis swapped his office for the tennis court - and was comfortably beaten in two sets by 16-year-old Mitchells Plain Tennis Club player Zariya Jouber.

Hill-Lewis laughed off t