VIDEOS AND PODCASTS

Few South African  have made as colourful a mark on tennis as John-Laffnie de Jager. 

The former doubles star and Davis Cup captain reflects on his career, locker-room stories, and his passion for mentoring future players on The Sias du Plessis Show.

John-Laffnie de Jager, a former South African tennis professional, has left an indelible mark on the tennis world as both a player and coach. Born in 1973 in Johannesburg, de Jager was primarily a doubles specialist, achieving a career-high ATP doubles ranking of World No. 11 in 2000. He won 7 ATP Tour doubles titles and reached the semifinals in Grand Slam tournaments on multiple occasions.

John-Laffnie de Jager’s life story reads like something straight out of D.H. Lawrence’s poem about “never seeing a wild thing feel sorry for itself”. 

“When I was born, my heart stopped,” the former SA tennis player begins. “Doctors tried to revive me, and when they gave me an injection to revive me, it hit my main nerve going down the side of my right leg, and damaged it.

John-Laffnie de Jager's journey from a challenging birth to a successful tennis career and high-performance coaching embodies resilience and determination. Despite being born with physical limitations, he defied the odds to become a Davis Cup player and ATP Tour doubles standout. Now, as a coach, De Jager imparts his old-school tough-love approach to a new generation of athletes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the FNB Varsity Cup tournament. 

"COVID-19 is real, but the biggest mistake anyone can make is to continuously worry about how it might impact your life. Negativity is never good. The challenge I have put to the players is to see the glass as half full rather than half empty," said John-Laffnie de Jager, TuksRugby Mental Coach.