Not long ago Khololwam Montsi would be camped in a hotel room with his good friend and fellow junior Eliakim Coulibaly – the man he calls his “African brother” – dreaming of establishing himself among the world’s rising stars.

As he desperately tried to make inroads within the game and secure modest, if steady, gains, Montsi would often seek the counsel of Coulibaly as he fantasised about what the future might hold.

At times the road appeared long and winding with plenty of pitfalls, but 2019 proved something of a breakthrough year for the South African teenager, who is now firmly entrenched within the Top 20 boys on the planet.

During the previous campaign, Montsi chalked up six titles, including his maiden Grade A crown at Cape Town in September, and embarked upon a 28-match winning streak which contributed to him finishing the year as the junior world No. 19.

His first title of 2020 arrived in February and, while all tennis is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 17-year-old is ranked 13th in the world. In January, he and Coulibaly, of Ivory Coast, hit the headlines as for the first time in history two boys from Africa held a junior ranking within the Top 20.

“It’s so special to be in the Top 20 coming from Africa because there are not a lot of us,” Montsi told itftennis.com. “I’m super proud of myself because I worked hard for this and I’m grateful to the people who have helped me get here.

“I’m super proud of Eliakim also. He is my bro and he worked just as hard to get to this position. A few years back we would sit in the hotel room and talk about being one of the top-ranked junior players. I always said that we should believe in ourselves, trust in God and we will make it.

“I’ve always believed in myself and I always knew I could do anything and now to be a top 15 junior player, it gives me tons of confidence to compete against anyone.”

There have been occasions, however, when that seemingly ironclad belief has been tested and required some fortifying. One particular quotation from Montsi during January’s Australian Open – he reached the second round of the boys’ draw before falling to eventual semi-finalist Timo Legout of France – was especially revealing.

“There were times when I thought that I couldn’t beat the top guys but after the last six months or so I started to believe more,” added Montsi, who writes music and plays both the piano and drums. “I’m not competing for experience anymore, I’m on a mission to win titles and Junior Grand Slams.”

Perhaps that momentary doubt stemmed, in part, to dissenting outside voices who, according to Montsi himself, questioned aspects of his game and disputed whether he possessed the ability to land knockout blows against top-level opponents.

“Many people have said I’m too small and I don’t have the power so I told myself, ‘let’s prove these people wrong’. It has been working well for me,” he said.

Montsi was born in East London on South Africa’s Eastern Cape and he picked up a racquet for the first time in a bid to emulate his older brother, Siphosothando.

Siphosothando Montsi is three years Khololwam’s senior and was himself a promising junior player, while he is currently continuing his tennis career at the University of Illinois where he is a sophomore.

The younger Montsi brother was seven years of age when he started his tennis odyssey. He was later spotted as a part of a 12-and-under talent identification camp organised by the ITF in 2012 which brought together a selection of the most promising talent from each zone in Africa.

He has received significant support from the ITF and the Grand Slam Development Fund since, including a $25,000 ITF Junior Player Grant this year. Such assistance has played a sizeable part in his development and added to the natural advancement provided by his upbringing.

“When my brother broke into the Top 100, I was probably the happiest little brother in the world because it gave me something to work hard for,” said Montsi. “We played with each other a lot in the backyard and I think the competitive attitude we had back then has helped us both.

“In the early days of my tennis career, I looked up to my brother and parents a lot. They had the biggest influence on me growing up and still do. The biggest motivation in my career is just to do big things for myself and my family.

“Growing up in South Africa has been really cool. I moved around the country a few times with my family and I enjoyed those moments. There were also tough times, like when my mother didn’t live with us for a few years as she had to stay back in East London to work.

“There have been lots of ups and downs over the years and my parents sacrificed a lot for me and my brother. Without those big sacrifices, I wouldn’t be here answering these questions.”

One thing is for certain. All the sacrifice will be more than worthwhile should Montsi pursue a similar path to the South African sporting figures who he cites as being powerful role models.

“I always loved [South Africa rugby union winger] Bryan Habana growing up,” said Montsi, who describes himself as a “big sneaker guy” due to his love for trainers.

“If I look now, one sportsman that inspires me is Springboks [World Cup-winning] captain Siya Kolisi. After looking at the journey he has been on and what he has accomplished, it’s amazing.”

For now, Montsi has his own ambitions, and while not on the scale of Habana or Kolisi quite yet, achieving them would prove major milestones in his fledgling career and provide some captivating material for future catch-ups with Coulibaly.

“My immediate goals are to win a Junior Grand Slam and be junior world No. 1. I also set a goal for myself to be ranked No. 750 on the ATP circuit by December 2020,” he added.

“But you never know what may happen in the future. It’s all in God’s hands and I must just live in the moment.”

This is interview is one of a number to feature in the latest edition of ITFWorld. A copy of the spring issue of ITFWorld can be viewed here.